Tragedy unlikely at border

I REFER to Suzanne Kalb's letter ''Potential disaster at border can be averted'' (Post, January 11).

It is true that Lowu Control Point is the busiest immigration checkpoint in Hongkong. There are about 95,000 passengers going through on a normal weekday and at weekends and holidays around 120,000.

To ensure a smooth flow of traffic and to prevent any possibility of a mishap, the Immigration Department works closely with the Royal Hongkong Police, the Customs and Excise Service, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation and the Chinese Frontier Units to regulate the movement of passengers in an orderly manner.

Following the Lan Kwai Fong tragedy, operational departments at Lowu have met to review the procedures relating to the safety of passengers. It is generally agreed that such a tragedy would be unlikely to occur at Lowu. There is, of course, no room for complacency. Staff have been briefed to be vigilant, and new measures have been planned and will be implemented in the coming Chinese New Year rush: Lowu will be reinforced by over 100 staff temporarily redeployed from various sections; Contra-flow clearance (reversing the direction of clearance counters) will be in operation. Thus we aim to clear up to 10,000 passengers an hour during peak times; North-bound border opening hours will be advanced an hour on January 20, 21 and 22.

Appropriate announcements will be made through the public address system to give directions and to remove anxiety of passengers.

P. T. CHOY for Director of Immigration