主持人：Azam Khan and John Bruce
Backchat is RTHK Radio 3's week-daily current affairs discussion programme, with expert panels and listener participation. It airs every Monday to Friday from 9.05am - 10am (HKT).
Have your say by calling us on 233 88 266, find us on Facebook - Backchat on RTHK Radio 3, or email backchat@rthk.gov.hk
Listen live on Radio 3's homepage - www.rthk.hk/radio/radio3
On this programme, we first look at the expanded "Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles" arrangement. Starting from July 25, approved vehicles from five more Greater Bay Area cities – Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan, Huizhou and Zhaoqing – will be able to enter Hong Kong and stay for up to three days.
After that, we talk to a scholar on why acquiring a driving instructor's licence in Hong Kong has become so competitive. This came as the government received over 55,000 applications for 332 new licences.
After the break, we hear about a study by the Hong Kong Metropolitan University on how retired professionals can alleviate the labour shortage.
And finally, a lawmaker tells us all about the proposal of an "AI for all" initiative by the government that will earmark HK$50 million to host more than 200 events over the next two years.
9:05am-9:21am: Expansion of southbound travel scheme
Speaker:
Caspar Tsui, Executive director of the Federation of Hong Kong Hotels Owners
9:21am-9:30am: High demand for driving instructor's licenses
Speaker:
Timothy Hau, Transport expert and Honorary Associate Professor at the HKU Business School, The University of Hong Kong
9:32am-9:47am: Hong Kong Metropolitan University's study on retirees
Speaker:
Raymond Kwong,Assistant Professor at the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
9:47am-10:00am: "AI for All" initiative
Speaker:
Ray Wong, Lawmaker
主持人：Azam Khan and John Bruce
On Thursday's Backchat, we talked about the government's takeover of the Tai Lam Tunnel in the New Territories. The tunnel recorded a surge in traffic after cheaper fees were introduced over the weekend. Transport Secretary Mable Chan said she hopes the new arrangement can alleviate congestion on Tuen Mun Road. We spoke to experts about the pricing change and explored how that would affect traffic on Hong Kong's road system.
After the break, we looked at the performance of Hong Kong's retail industry, as the city hosted a major summit to explore it can adapt to the fast-changing market environment.
To cap it all off, the annual Hajj pilgrimage has begun, with 1.8 million Muslims from around the world expected to descend upon the Saudi holy city of Mecca. The spiritual, week-long journey is a core tenet in Islam. We heard from the Chief Imam of Hong Kong, who is currently undertaking the pilgrimage.
9:05am-9:30am: Government takeover of Tai Lam Tunnel 9:05am-9:30am: Alok Jain, CEO and Managing Director of Trans Consult
9:05am-9:30am: Timothy Hau, Honorary Associate Professor of Economics at HKU Business School, The University of Hong Kong
9:32am-9:47am: Retail sales
9:32am-9:47am: Rita Li, Professor at the Department of Economics and Finance, Hong Kong Shue Yan University
9:47am-10:00am: Hajj pilgrimage
9:47am-10:00am: Mufti Muhammad Arshad, Chief Imam of Hong Kong
