Govt To Conduct Survey On Hongkongers' Travel Habits

Transport officials on Monday said they are carrying out a survey on people's travel habits and how these have been influenced by technology and the pandemic.

About 35,000 households will be randomly chosen to take part in the voluntary, once-in-a-decade Travel Characteristics Survey, either online or through a telephone or face-to-face interview.

Questions will include what forms of transport people usually take and how long their journeys are, whether they drive a car or have bicycles or e-bikes, and if they use smartphone transport apps.

People will also be asked if working from home during the pandemic and new development projects have had an effect on their transport needs.

Officials said at a press conference that the results of the survey will help them better plan for future transport infrastructure and devise policies that can better meet the public's needs.

"On every development, no matter it's residential, industrial or even government facilities, they [will] all have certain demands on traffic and transport, for example the Northern Metropolis and Lantau Tomorrow Vision," said a deputy commissioner for transport, Tony Yau.

"All those developments will need to conduct their own [traffic impact assessment,] which will be based on our latest travel characteristics data. In other words, this travel characteristics data will have an impact on all developments."

The survey will be carried out between this month and December. Officials say this may be extended if social distancing measures are tightened, because people's travel patterns would be affected.

Officials expect to release a preliminary report in the middle of next year with the final report due at the end of next year or in 2024.