Bill Tang slams MTR response and info delays, demands explanation and compensation plans
Lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu criticises the MTR over poor emergency response and information gaps during two Kwun Tong Line disruptions at Lam Tin Station within 15 hours, urging the operator to explain root causes, incident links and compensation plans. He also calls for better communication with elde
Lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu criticised the MTR on Thursday over poor emergency response and inadequate information dissemination during back-to-back Kwun Tong Line disruptions, demanding explanations on causes, incident links and compensation plans.
The critique came after Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan ordered the rail operator to conduct a full system safety review and submit a detailed report within a month following two separate incidents at Lam Tin Station within 15 hours.
Speaking on a radio programme, Tang said the operator's long-term cost-cutting on frontline manpower led to major vulnerabilities. He noted the rail operator relied excessively on its mobile app and real-time news updates, overlooking elderly residents who lack access to digital notifications.
Tang also pointed to misplaced station announcements played only at the bottom of escalators connecting to Kai Tin Road, causing crowds to accumulate at the platform. Broadcasts should be extended to community entry points, he said. Addressing confusing shuttle bus guidance, Tang urged the rail operator to conduct joint drills with district councilors and care teams to pre-designate pickup locations.
Questioning whether weekend free-ride days truly benefit delayed commuters, Tang noted he wrote to demand the operator explain root causes, incident links and compensation plans at the Legislative Council subcommittee on railway matters meeting on October 30.
Meanwhile, former Hong Kong Institution of Engineers electrical division chairman Edward Lo Wai-chau told the same programme that it remains premature to confirm electrical links between the trackside fire and plant room smoke. Lo explained that railway power systems separately supply station facilities and track circuits. External debris falling onto open-air track sections or operational errors during emergency handling could also trigger short circuits.
He urged the rail operator to shorten routine inspection cycles to one month and introduce Internet of Things sensors for predictive maintenance.