Focus

Vehicle emissions are one of the major causes of air pollution in Hong Kong and the government has been promoting the use of electric vehicles as a way to tackle the problem. But despite its efforts, the response from drivers has been disappointing. Apart from the relatively higher cost of electric cars, motorists tell Varsity the lack of quick chargers is one of the reasons there are so few zero-emissions cars on our roads.

Being caught in rush hour traffic in Central is no joke, and if you are a pedestrian, breathing the exhaust filled air is bad for your health. A group of researchers and scholars say there is another way - that we can create a Central free of cars, a walkable Central. Varsity learns more.

The Hong Kong Global Geopark of China is part of the Global Geoparks Network. It will undergo its first midterm assessment by the UNESCO this July. Varsity meets the professionals and people who work at the Geopark to see whether it will keep its place on the list.

Kaito ferries provide a much needed service to residents in some parts of Hong Kong, but stringent licensing requirements mean some are forced to operate illegally, while high operating costs threaten the future of legal services.

Varsity treks to some of Hong Kong's remote villages to talk to the few elderly villagers still living there and hears that one if their greatest concerns is the lack of convenient transport in the event of a medical emergency.

In recent years, the lines between mainstream and alternative media and professional and citizen journalists have become increasingly blurred. The recent Umbrella Movement saw many citizen journalists on the frontline, filing up-to-the-minute reports for various online media. Varsity caught up with some of them.

Private cars dominate Hong Kong’s major roads and parking spaces are in high demand, especially in commercial and tourist districts like Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. Government plans to demolish some major carparks in these areas will not only affect drivers but also change the overall traffic environment.

The intellectually disabled age more quickly than other people. This means they need services aimed at the elderly before they are officially entitled to it. Activists are campaigning to redefine old age for this group, so that they too can enjoy social benefits for the elderly.

Hong Kong faces an aging population and a shrinking workforce, yet many women are deterred from rejoining the workforce and families put off having children, due to the lack of affordable and accessible childcare services. Varsity meets some of the mothers struggling to strike a balance between working and looking after their children.

As more and more schools choose to teach Chinese in Putonghua, many local teachers and teachers-to-be fear they will be passed over for teachers who speak Putonghua as their mother tongue. There are signs that some schools would rather hire native Putonghua speakers to teach Chinese even if they have no university training in Chinese language. But should this really be a criterion for picking Chinese teachers?