MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): Deputy President, as a result of the illegal Occupy action, the patronage of MTR heavy rail network has increased significantly, thus posing a higher risk to rail operations. Most regrettably, it is expected that similar illegal actions will be staged one after another. I would like to know if discussions have been held by the Government with the MTRCL to, with lessons drawn from the incident this time, get well-prepared for any occupy action of an even larger scale and ensure better handling of similar situations in the future?
SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING (in Cantonese): Deputy President, it is the position of the Government to avoid as far as possible the recurrence of similar occupy action of such a large scale. From the angle of risk management, however, a contingency plan is indeed required for handling emergencies or any unforeseen circumstances should they arise. An emergency response plan has all along been put in place by the MTRCL to cope with natural disasters and respond promptly to unforeseen incidents as appropriate. In the course of establishing the emergency response plan, thorough discussions have been held by the MTRCL with the relevant government departments.
The MTRCL has handled the situation in accordance with its emergency response plan during the past two months when the Occupy Central movement was underway. Enhancements have also been made to the plan in response to many social discussions before the outbreak of the movement and thus, the MTRCL has performed quite well in implementing various contingency measures. Although the patronage of railway network has increased significantly, thanks to the passengers’ understanding as well as the hard work of the MTRCL staff (including the management and the front-line staff), the system has in general maintained its normal operations or has even operated beyond normal capacity to cope with the huge increase in passenger flow. After the Occupy Central movement, a review would also be conducted by the MTRCL to identify areas for improvement so as to better prepare itself for any emergencies in the future.