I refer to the letter from Peter Luk, for the Commissioner for Transport, headlined 'Twin-tube design enhances safety' (South China Morning Post, March 16).
Mr Luk was responding to your February 25 article on tunnel safety in Hong Kong, which was long overdue.
The rules and codes of practice adopted by tunnel operators in Hong Kong should be tightened to ensure more vigilant performance standards. The public must be educated so they know what to do if there is a fire in a tunnel.
When there is a fire the smoke becomes dense and visibility is soon impaired, causing drivers and passengers to panic. Accidents can be caused by people running and trampling over each other. It is wrong for Mr Luk to say that there 'is no need for drivers to panic and run around because the ventilation system will come on right away'. Without action by the tunnel operator, the ventilation (or smoke extraction) systems will not function (these systems do not come on automatically).
If drivers and passengers can act promptly in the event of a tunnel fire and know what to do they could save lives.
Transport officials know that the sooner the tunnel operator and Fire Services Department are told about the fire, the better the chance of reducing the extent of the damage.
Drivers should be taught and encouraged to take the following actions if there is a fire:
