New KCRC chief backs 'brave' Tien's drive for transparency

The incoming chief executive of the KCRC, James Blake, said yesterday he shared the views of the rail operator's chairman and understood his 'drive for transparency and ... to attain the best possible in our services to the public'.

Mr Blake described Michael Tien Puk-sun as brave and said he had shown himself a quick learner when he took over in 2002 at a 'bad time' for the government-owned corporation - with its West Rail project under the shadow of a contractual blunder that added $100 million to the cost of its signalling.

The man picked to replace Samuel Lai Man-hay after a week of management chaos and a show of dissent by top managers also defended his own role in that blunder.

Mr Blake, who apologised at the time for not having alerted the managing board soon enough about delays by signalling contractor Siemens, said: 'The firm hired to investigate the matter confirmed the expenditure at that time was value for money.'

He said there had been thorough discussion by the board over the practice of transparency and he would adhere to the practice.

Hung Wing-tat, an associate professor of civil and structural engineering at Polytechnic University, warned Mr Blake's appointment was unlikely to achieve much. 'What can he do to tackle the problems? He really is just a caretaker.'