Guangzhou in 48 minutes? Hong Kong critics of high-speed rail plan urge pulling TV commercial over claim
Concern group also lodges complaint that TVB violated code of practice by airing ad
Opponents of a controversial plan in Hong Kong to allow mainland Chinese laws to be enforced in the city for a cross-border high-speed rail link have demanded a TV commercial touting the arrangement be pulled.
Activists from the Co-location Concern Group protested outside the Communications Authority on Monday and lodged a complaint with the watchdog, calling the advertisement “misleading” in claiming the rail passengers could reach Guangzhou from Hong Kong in 48 minutes.
The authority has so far received 318 complaints against the commercial since it first aired about two weeks ago. It said it would look into the complaints in accordance with established procedures.
Hong Kong government slaps down alternative border plans for high-speed rail link
Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan, a convenor of the group, explained: “What the commercial does not tell you is that the high-speed train station is not in downtown Guangzhou. The station is Guangzhou South, and you will have to transfer to the subway and take another 40 minutes to one hour to get to downtown Guangzhou.”