MTR staff to film conflicts at Sheung Shui station in bid to boost safety

Hong Kong railway staff will use wearable video technology to record any angry clashes at a busy border station in a bid to improve the safety of passengers and workers.

Three clip-on video cameras will be introduced under a six-month trial at the Sheung Shui MTR station on Monday.

The station is often crowded with local and cross-border commuters, many carrying bulky luggage, as well as parallel-goods traders who buy their stock tax-free in Hong Kong to resell on the mainland at a profit.

The station has witnessed scuffles between traders and local residents, who say the importers push up retail prices and cause a general nuisance.

Staff from the MTR's by-laws inspection unit will clip the cameras onto their shirts but will be required to tell passengers they are being filmed.

"We understand the public will have concerns over privacy," said Allen Ding Ka-chun, MTR operations manager for the East Rail and Ma On Shan lines. "We will ensure the use of the cameras complies with privacy regulations. Only authorised people will have access to the videos."

Unit commander Wong Sing-kan said that disputes on the railway were common, sometimes ending up in police reports.