Ex-law enforcement officers deployed to tackle fare-dodgers on East Rail Line

Former law enforcement officers have been recruited to combat fare evasion at stations along the MTR East Rail Line, which has been plagued by gate jumpers and violence against railway staff.

The move comes as video clips circulate on the internet showing staff being attacked by passengers apprehended for fare evasion.

The new By-laws Inspection Unit of 25 uniformed staff with experience in security and crowd control, started work yesterday on six-month contracts. As well as fare evasion, they will be on the lookout for explosives and other dangerous goods in passengers' luggage, although police said the overall crime rate on the MTR was quite low last year.

Most of the inspectors are former police officers but some have worked for the Correctional Services Department. They will be deployed at stations such as Sheung Shui, Lo Wu, Fanling and Lok Ma Chau. Twenty retired Gurkha soldiers and 66 security guards have also been hired to further strengthen security.

'We believe that with the inspectors' past working experience in the disciplinary forces and expertise in security and crowd control, they will be able to work better with the police when handling a crisis,' MTR Corp deputy operations director Li Yun-tai said. There had been six attacks on MTR staff in the past three months and eight in the same period last year, he said.

About 3,975 ticket evasion cases were reported last month and 4,485 in February. More than 60 per cent were on the East Rail Line.