I am writing in response to the
article, “Contractor hands over crash report to the MTR” (March 24). The crash report from Thales, the French supplier of the MTR’s new signal system, came after two trains collided during a trial run for the HK$3.3 billion system. Operations had to be suspended between Admiralty and Central on the Tsuen Wan line for 48 hours, throwing a major transport link into disarray.
This was the latest in a string of incidents at the MTR, including construction
scandals. And, even though there were no casualties, the accident did raise fears about risks to public safety once the signal system was put in full operation. The rail operator must clearly work harder at keeping things running smoothly as the network expands or is upgraded, as large parts of the city’s transport system become paralysed whenever the underground links break down.
I think the high priority given to the MTR as Hong Kong’s transport lifeline is the problem, and government policy is to blame. It is because the government has devoted tonnes of resources to the development of the MTR system, rushing the
Sha Tin to Central link, the high-speed rail, and so on. However, has the government stopped to think about whether the system can support the swelling number of passengers?
I think the railway system has actually reached its limit in terms of passenger numbers. On our daily commute, we can see how trains arrive one after another during peak hours, but have to wait to enter the station because the previous train is not ready to leave yet and passengers are packing themselves in.
It is understandable that there are some faults in the system, given that it has been running for such a long time. But the government continues to deploy resources which will increase the pressure on the system.
We should drive home the message that the MTR system might be overloaded and at breaking point, and that the government should allocate more resources for other modes of transport, like public buses and minibuses, so that a breakdown in the underground railway system does not paralyse our lives.
Michael Cheung, Tseung Kwan O
