Annie Tai, 16
Shung Tak Catholic English College
Yes. Merging the MTR and the KCR is beneficial to Hong Kong's transportation, the government and the citizens. It is good news for all of us, except perhaps, the unsophisticated KCR managers who wished to overthrow their chairman last month.
The KCR has too many problems. It needs the MTR to upgrade its management, overhaul the unsafe carriages, rectify the lack of screen doors and improve the running of delayed trains.
I don't think the government is selling the KCR too cheaply. The $42 billion that the MTR pays in rent to the KCR for 50 years is 10 times the KCR's profit for the whole of 2004!
The MTR also has substantial experience in developing property so it won't let the KCR's land resources go wasted.
