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Hong KongHong Kong Economy

Keep it moving: faster and less costly completion of Hong Kong lifts and ramps urged

Report finds retrofitting completed for only 60 of 184 footbridges, elevated walkways and subways

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In one case, the actual completion date of implementing retrofitting works had been delayed by 1,088 days. Photo: Wikimedia
Peace Chiu

The Audit Commission has told the government to speed up the retrofitting of lifts and ramps for footbridges, elevated walkways, and subways as well as curtail cost overruns, after it was revealed that two-thirds of such works were not completed, with some having deadlines for as early as next year.

The call came after the Disability Discrimination Ordinance came into effect in 1996, making it unlawful for a person with a disability to be refused access to facilities to which the public is entitled, except where offering such facilities would impose unjustifiable hardship on the provider.

The former Transport Bureau began retrofitting works for footbridges, elevated walkways and subways in 2001.

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In 2011, the Labour and Welfare Bureau informed the Legislative Council that a majority of retrofitting works for barrier-free access facilities for footbridges, elevated walkways and subways, where technically feasible, were scheduled for completion by around 2016-17, with the remainder targeted to be done by 2017-18.
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But an audit report released on Wednesday showed that, as of December last year, retrofitting works had been completed for only 60 out of 184 footbridges, elevated walkways and subways that were found to be feasible for such works. Thirteen works had not even commenced.

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