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MTR commuters yesterday welcomed the opening of a new interchange at North Point that will save them at least five minutes on each trip.

Kwun Tong Line passengers heading towards Causeway Bay and Central can now change at North Point for Island Line trains simply by walking 70 metres to the opposite platform on the same level.

The same arrangement applies to eastbound commuters on the Island Line travelling to East Kowloon on the Kwun Tong Line.

The Mass Transit Railway Corporation estimates about 100,000 passengers will use the new interchange each day, which will help ease congestion at Quarry Bay station during peak hours.

Chinese medicine practitioner Cheung Ming-yiu, who lives in North Point, said the interchange shortened his travelling time to his clinic at Choi Hung.

'I have been waiting for this day to arrive for the last five to six years. With the interchange, I won't have to spend so much time walking through Quarry Bay station again,' he said.

Antony Kwok, an office clerk in Wan Chai who travels to East Kowloon once or twice a day on business, said: 'In the past, it took me about five minutes to walk between platforms on different floors at Quarry Bay. Now, it is only a 40-second walk.'

Peter Lam Chi-hang, 17, of Tsuen Wan, said he was happy to be among the first group of passengers to use the interchange.

The MTR will launch a three-phase promotional campaign to encourage commuters to use the interchange. Free gifts such as washing powder, hair conditioners and shampoo will be given to interchange users, starting tomorrow.

Yesterday's opening attracted protesters from the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims.

They were demonstrating over the MTR's handling of work-related deaths at the North Point interchange and Tseung Kwan O extension projects.

There had been four deaths in the past three years, the association said.

It demanded the MTR reveal the number and the causes of all industrial accidents at its projects and impose heavy punishments on contractors with poor work safety records.

Last night, the corporation said it had introduced various measures to ensure adequate safety at its construction sites.



Short walk to happiness as new MTR interchange opens