MTR bosses plead with Hong Kong protesters to ‘treasure and safeguard’ rail network, hours before more stations are vandalised
- Rail operator’s chairman Rex Auyeung and CEO Jacob Kam pen open letter to city addressing ‘most tremendous challenges’
- Pair express ‘deepest gratitude’ to staff for their ‘impartial’ work in providing a safe service
Top bosses at Hong Kong’s rail operator have said the company is “experiencing the most tremendous challenges” in its 40-year history.
The civil unrest sweeping the city has turned MTR stations into flashpoints for clashes between police and protesters in recent weeks.
In an open letter to passengers on Sunday, the MTR Corporation’s chairman, Rex Auyeung Pak-kuen, and CEO Jacob Kam Chak-pui, condemned “all violence” and said they “deeply regret” the vandalism at stations. Their letter also praised the company’s staff.
“Facing this challenging situation, MTR colleagues have been making their best endeavour to recover and repair facilities in a timely manner to minimise the impacts on passengers,” the letter read. “We express our deepest gratitude to all colleagues who have spared no effort in their work and provided a safe railway service impartially.”
They stressed that the corporation was a “home grown Hong Kong public transport operator” and urged “all sectors of the community [to] treasure and safeguard this railway network, which has been carrying our collective memories over the past few decades”.