The Lens: It is crucial to safeguard the rights of animals and promote a harmonious community

Valerie Chiu Wing-yee, age, 13, St Mary’s Canossian College

Our furry friends bring us numerous benefits as our kind companions who play with us and listen to our joys and sorrows.

Not all animals need a lot of space to roam about, especially cats, who are happy living in smaller areas.

However, the government in Singapore, back in 1989, felt cats were “generally difficult to contain within the flat” and banned them from public housing.

Sadly, this situation is common. Animal lovers often must make the difficult choice to part from their adorable friends or keep them while breaking the rules. When only people living in private housing, who are generally more affluent, can keep animals, what is the point of promoting animal rights and encouraging pet adoption?

Recently, the government in Singapore removed the 34-year ban they had imposed on pet cats in public housing, allowing households to reunite with these companions once again. I hope Hong Kong can make a similar decision for dogs.

In Hong Kong, some government departments promote animal adoption, while others are working to expand pet-friendly spaces.

But in 2003, Sars (the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak) prompted restrictions on keeping pets in public housing estates and subsidised housing. This does not align with the city’s hope for pet-friendly policies and seems to refer to pets as the culprits of Sars.

While some people have raised concerns about cats in Singapore disrupting their neighbours, restrictions like not allowing pets in corridors and public areas can minimise the issue. Complaints can also be filtered through a designated department.

It is crucial to safeguard the rights of animals and promote a harmonious community.

Read last week’s news snippet here

Japan is looking to become the first country to have flying taxis.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Holdings Inc partnered with California-based Joby Aviation in 2022 to bring electric-powered air taxi services to Japan.

Last week, the two companies announced a deal with Nomura Real Estate Development Co, one of the largest property developers in Japan, to build “vertiports” in major urban districts before expanding to the entire country. This is the infrastructure needed for the take-off and landing of flying taxis.

The vision is for fleets of flying cars that do not require large areas for runways and operate autonomously. Supporters hope these vehicles will reduce road traffic and assist in the event of a natural disaster.

Transport analysts, however, say that the launch of flying taxi services is not happening any time soon, as no government has yet approved airborne cars, and there are still several hurdles.

Japan faces some unique challenges, including narrow streets and vast networks of above-ground power lines.

Joby Aviation announced in October 2022 that it had applied to the Japanese government to operate a commercial passenger service for its five-seat piloted eVTOL aircraft.

“I reckon it will be at least three years and probably closer to five years before this becomes commonplace. Even then, they will have to operate in very limited areas, on specific routes and at certain heights and speeds,” said Peter Lyon, a motoring correspondent for Forbes.

But Lyon noted that the development of these vehicles still had many problems to face. Accidents involving flying vehicles would “almost certainly” happen, he added. As the vehicles will be electric, range will be a key issue.

Staff writers

• How could the creation and widespread use of air taxis benefit society and the Japanese economy?

• What are possible concerns about the use of air taxis and how could the Japanese government address these issues?