Legislators yesterday accused the government of lacking the determination to amend the law to require goods vehicles to install closed-circuit television or video systems.
The government was urged to act after six people recently died in five accidents that involved reversing trucks.
Speaking in the Legislative Council yesterday, legislators from the Democratic Party and its allies expressed discontent over slow progress in making it mandatory for all goods vehicles to be fitted with one of the devices.
'Why can't the government just make a decision regarding a law which is clearly needed? It does not even have a timetable about when the law will be introduced. How many more people have to die?' legislator Cheung Man-kwong, of the Democratic Party, said. From April 1, 2000, the government made it mandatory for all goods vehicles to install an automatic device giving audible warning to pedestrians when a vehicle reversed. Under the law, drivers can install video systems or reversing sensors, but this is not compulsory.
'Six people died in five accidents, and these are all painful lessons for us all. This is a clear answer that we have to make it compulsory for all goods vehicles to install video systems,' Andrew Cheng Kar-foo, of the Democratic Party, said.
He also suggested cutting consultations so that legislation could be completed this year.