Plane, trains, buses, and ferries...

Yesterday I decided to fly back to Hong Kong where I have lived for what is now a quarter century. First came over in December of 1984 so this flight was an anniversary of some sort and I could not help but think that it served as a symbolic reminder of how time flies.

I was greeted upon arrival in the evening by an earlier than usual winter cold spell and the temperature down to 10 degrees Celsius in our area. Coming from the balmy Manila weather at the moment, I did not even have a light jacket on. But being the experienced traveller that I am (checked the weather before leaving), I asked Tina to meet me at the airport and bring a heavy coat for the 15-minute bus ride from the airport to our building.

Whilst on the bus, it made realize that in the time I have stayed here, I have taken many more plane rides than private car rides. People may find that hard to believe but its true. Most of my commutes are through ferries, subway trains, buses, and the occasional taxi. Walking is really the most convenient way to get around in the city. Another unusual thing would be the fact that the resort area I lived in for a very long time, did not even allow private cars onto its roads. Residents went around by shuttle bus, special taxis, bicycles, or simply by foot. For those able to afford it, a limited supply of petrol golf carts was available, each one costing close to the price of a new 1-Series. And you bought them used at that. This system was possible because the resort was located in an enclosed cove which, for reference, would be geographically comparable to Puerto Azul in Cavite. Land access was limited through a toll tunnel and to pass through required a permit applied for in advance. Aside from the franchised shuttle buses, permission to enter is only given to commercial vehicles delivering supplies or conducting removals. Under no circumstances are "drive-ins" allowed, the only exception being for official emergency vehicles. It takes less than a minute to pass through the tunnel area yet the toll is equivalent to PHP300 already. Imagine imposing an amount like that back home. The only other transport alternative was by sea and for which a 24-hour ferry service was operated. To get to the office, it was a 25-minute voyage to Central. I take some pride in being able to say that on a number of instances, I was able to travel by sea, land, and air in a single day. I would take the ferry to go to work in the morning, then hop on a bus or train to go to the airport in the afternoon for an evening flight to somewhere. Not too many get the chance to do all three within a short period of time.

Except for a brief period when an expat friend suddenly got relocated and temporarily left me his car, I have never felt a need to have my own. Hong Kong is definitely not an ideal place for private car ownership. Aside from the fact that there is little distance to drive to, the public transport network is very extensive, very safe, and will get you to your destination much faster. Priority for road usage is given to buses especially during peak hours, a notion which may trigger an overthrow of the government if imposed in the Philippines!

Despite providing most of the mass transit system, the HK authorities do not stop anyone from buying a car. However, it does impose a heavy price on the owner, the logic being that private vehicle users must pay for the privilege of clogging up the roads and contributing to environmental pollution. Another idea guaranteed to incite civil insurrection among even the most placid of Pinoys. The so-called first registration tax imposed on brand new units can exceed 100% of the value of the car while the annual registration for a typical late-model BMW will start from US$1,000 per year. If we think gasoline in the Philippines or even the US is expensive, try the equivalent of close to PHP100/liter or US$8/gallon at current market prices. Monthly parking costs almost the same as renting a decent house in Metro Manila. Bringing your car for repairs to the neighborhood "talyer" often is more than what the "casa" would charge back home. And don't get me started on the price of a basic car wash service...