District lawmakers worry about impact of early closure of MTR Tung Chung to Sunny Bay on passengers traveling to/from airport
To cope with the large-scale track diversion project of the Tung Chung Line Extension, the Tung Chung Line will make a service adjustment on October 26 (Saturday) this year, and trains running between Tung Chung Station and Sunny Bay Station will be closed about two hours earlier that night.
The Vice Chairman of the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Islands District Council, Yip Pui-kei, said on a radio program today (October 7) that there will be road closures for other works on North Lantau Highway from October onwards, and he is concerned that with the loss of a traffic lane by that time, some drivers may not be accustomed to the situation, resulting in accidents, which, coupled with the absence of the MTR service, would have a greater impact on the service.
However, he stressed that he had confidence in the MTR, but all parties involved needed to understand the situation at the time and formulate a back-up plan.
Yip said that in the past when the Tung Chung Line was suspended due to any problem, the MTR will arrange for shuttle buses, and this time the early closure was arranged on a Saturday, and it is believed that the MTR has already taken into account all kinds of considerations in order to minimize the impact. He knows that the MTR will discuss the proposal with the District Council and will be concerned about whether the works can be completed within the time limit, whether there will be any impact on traffic on the following morning, and in particular, whether it will affect passengers traveling to and from the airport, and how to evacuate them in case of accidents.
Yip Pui-kei believes that this is the first time that a similar project is launched, and the variables and challenges are great. He also said that many people will take buses when they learn that there will be no MTR service, and he hopes that other transport operators will co-operate with the project, and that all of them will have a back-up plan.
Related News:
BOGO drinks for three days! Hey Tea opens doors in Causeway Bay
Comment