Q Will the $10 surcharge put you off using the MTR?
If the MTR Corporation wants to cut down on obstruction and fare abuse, then it should employ inspectors to patrol stations.
Recently as I was travelling towards Admiralty, there were four passengers carrying large boxes and goods on trolleys in my carriage. One had an unwrapped television facing standing commuters. If the screen smashed, nearby passengers would have suffered serious cuts to their feet and legs. How did the passengers carrying such goods manage to reach the platforms at their point of departure without being challenged by MTRC staff?
When the train reached Central, I had to ask one of the commuters carrying many packages to stand aside and allow other passengers onto the escalator first. If a heavy package were to fall off a trolley and down a crowded escalator the result could be serious.
I frequently see messenger services set up shop beside an MTR ticket office, where they sit on the ground sorting out their deliveries. Another favourite spot is the ledges of the shops in the area. It is obvious there are no security guards patrolling the stations.
The MTRC should also alter the design of its shopfronts to discourage people from sitting on the ledges. This could be done by adding a sloping shelf to the existing structures.
The design of the stations should encourage people to move on rather than linger in the station.