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Following is a question by Dr Hon Chiang Lai-wan and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (June 11):
Question:
Quite a number of members of the public have relayed to me that while the railway is the major mode of transport of Hong Kong, passenger facilities provided at railway stations are not comprehensive. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as it has been reported that the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) has planned to invest $1 billion to implement a series of service enhancement measures which include upgrading of station facilities, whether the Government has found out the relevant details from MTRCL; if it has, of the details, together with a tabulated breakdown of such information by MTR station; if not, whether it will expeditiously find out the relevant details from MTRCL;
(2) whether it knows the progress of MTRCL's plan to retrofit public toilets at those interchange stations not yet provided with such facilities, and the expected completion dates of such works, together with a tabulated breakdown of such information by MTR station;
(3) as MTRCL has indicated that it is difficult to retrofit public toilets at non-interchange stations due to technical problems, whether the Government has enquired with MTRCL about the situation and explored solutions to such problems so that the relevant works can be proceeded with; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether it has assessed the effectiveness of MTRCL's promotional activities targeted at its passengers on (i) offering seats to passengers in need and (ii) giving priority to passengers in need of using the lifts connecting the ground level and the platform; if the assessment outcome is in the negative, whether the Government will, in collaboration with MTRCL, review the relevant promotional activities and take improvement measures; and
(5) as quite a number of residents in Kowloon West have relayed to me that some areas in certain railway stations (e.g. Exits A and B of Hung Hom Station as well as Exits A and C of Cheung Sha Wan Station) have poor ventilation and the stuffy air there has caused passengers to feel sick, whether the Government has enquired with MTRCL about the situation and explored solutions to such problems; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
My reply to the various parts of the question raised by Dr Hon Chiang Lai-wan is as follows:
(1) Since the launch of the "Listening ĄD Responding" programme in 2012, the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) has invested over $1 billion to enhance train services and station facilities. Up to now, apart from operating more than 1 600 additional train trips per week, MTRCL has provided a number of additional facilities inside stations, including wide gates, benches, public toilets and lifts, for greater convenience and comfort of passengers.
Currently, there is at least one wide gate in every MTR station. Under the "Listening ĄD Responding" programme, MTRCL has completed adding 52 wide gates at different stations and providing 326 benches at station platforms and along passageways that are relatively long. The installation of these two types of facilities provides further convenience to passengers, especially the elderly, wheelchair users and passengers with luggage or prams.
(2) As for the issue of public toilets, of the 83 stations operating daily (See note), 41 of them (including all stations along the Airport Express, Disneyland Resort Line, East Rail Line, West Rail Line and Ma On Shan Line as well as some stations along Tung Chung Line and Island Line) are equipped with public toilets, among which ten are interchange stations (including East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Mei Foo Station, Quarry Bay Station, Hong Kong Station, Tsing Yi Station, Sunny Bay Station, Hung Hom Station, Kowloon Tong Station, Tai Wai Station and Nam Cheong Station), and 31 of them are non-interchange stations. As for the ten interchange stations not yet equipped with public toilets, MTRCL will retrofit them with public toilets during major refurbishment projects. MTRCL indicates that three busy interchange stations at Mong Kok, Prince Edward and Admiralty will be retrofitted with public toilets by end 2015. As for the remaining seven interchange stations, including Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Yau Ma Tei Station, Lai King Station, Central Station, North Point Station, Yau Tong Station and Tiu Keng Leng Station, public toilets will be provided by end 2020.
MTRCL explains that most of the railway stations along the urban lines were built in the 70s and 80s of the last century. Due to shorter travelling distances of usually around 30 minutes at the time and given that toilet facilities were usually available in most commercial buildings and shopping malls in urban areas, public toilets were therefore not included in the station design of that era. In fact, retrofitting public toilets in existing stations in operation is a complex alteration project. The Corporation has carried out a detailed study on the feasibility of retrofitting public toilets in existing stations. The findings are that there exist considerable technical difficulties, including capacity of the sewage system, proximity of high voltage equipment and requirement of installing a separate ventilation system.
MTRCL points out that it usually takes just a walk of about 200 metres or around 4 minutes from the stations without public toilets to the nearest public toilets nearby.
MTRCL informs passengers by means of various channels of the locations of the nearest public toilets. On the street maps inside stations, the locations of public toilets in nearby shopping malls, commercial buildings, and those provided by the Government within a 200-metre or 4-minute walk from stations are shown. Relevant information is also available on MTRCL's website (www.mtr.com.hk). Passengers in need may also approach station staff for using staff toilets. Notices have been posted at station platforms and outside station control rooms in the concourse to inform passengers that they may approach station staff for assistance if necessary.
In future, MTRCL will provide public toilet facilities inside or near stations when designing and planning new railway lines or extensions of existing railway lines (such as the West Island Line). However, their locations will still be subject to the actual geographical environment of individual stations, the neighbourhood's views on the at-grade locations of public toilets and ventilation shafts, etc.
(3) and (4) As for the lifts, their current installation status inside the 83 MTR stations operating daily is as follows:
(a) 75 stations already have proper arrangements, as the station concourse and at-grade level are either connected by lifts or that the station concourse is at-grade where lifts are not necessary;
(b) for the remaining eight stations not yet provided with lifts connecting the station concourse with at-grade level, lift retrofitting works have started at five of them (i.e. Prince Edward Station, Admiralty Station, Sai Wan Ho Station, Yau Ma Tei Station and Shau Kei Wan Station) for expected completion by batches within two years for public use;
(c) the remaining three stations are at Tin Hau, Fortress Hill and Diamond Hill. Lifts at Diamond Hill Station will be built in tandem with the works of the Shatin to Central Link. For Fortress Hill Station, MTRCL plans to modify two existing at-grade Government-owned lifts (connecting the street level with the top of the hill) to extend them downward to the underground station concourse. For the retrofitting of lift at Tin Hau Station, MTRCL has studied many different options, but yet to identify a suitable location for the lift due to geographical, ownership and technical constraints. MTRCL is still striving to look for a feasible option for retrofitting lift at Tin Hau Station;
(d) besides, MTRCL will also provide one additional lift each at Lai Chi Kok Station, Lai King Station and Tsim Sha Tsui Station. Retrofitting works have commenced.
To encourage the culture of passengers offering seats and caring for people in need, MTRCL has since 2009 designated certain seats inside train compartments on all railway lines as "priority seats". At present, there are two "priority seats" inside every compartment on all trains of Tsuen Wan Line, Kwun Tong Line, Island Line, Tseung Kwan O Line, Tung Chung Line, West Rail Line, East Rail Line and Ma On Shan Line. More "priority seats" are being introduced gradually for Light Rail vehicles. For easy identification, these seats are painted in red and marked with a sticker with smiley face. As for the Airport Express and Disneyland Resort Line, "priority seats" are not designated given their lower patronage as compared with other railway lines. MTRCL will keep in view the situation, and will designate "priority seats" on these two railway lines as necessary.
To further promote the culture of courtesy and encourage passengers' thoughtfulness for others, MTRCL has launched a "Lift Priority User and Queuing Trial". Red stickers and arrows are placed on the ground in front of the doors of designated lifts inside all stations operating daily, so as to encourage passengers to let the needy, such as the elderly, disabled (including wheelchair users) and people with prams or heavy luggage to use the lifts first.
MTRCL has been promoting "priority seats" and the "Lift Priority User and Queuing Trial", and through various publicity and education events each year remind passengers of being courteous when using MTR services. The Corporation will, via various means, continue to disseminate to passengers the message of offering seats and being polite and considerate to others. Indeed, after the launch of the programmes, MTRCL has noted a greater awareness of courtesy among passengers.
(5) Currently, Entrances/Exits A and B of Hung Hom Station, situated at the mid-level platform of the station, are connected with a pedestrian link which adopts a natural ventilation design similar to other pedestrian accesses of the same type. The pedestrian link is now equipped with fans, exhaust fans, and cooling devices at some locations. If necessary, station staff will open windows to maintain air ventilation of the pedestrian link. MTRCL will continue to closely monitor the air flow of the pedestrian link and regularly deploy staff to clean and check all ventilation facilities to ensure that they are in good condition and normal operation. The Corporation will also examine the feasibility of installing additional fans, exhaust fans and cooling devices.
As for Cheung Sha Wan Station, the station concourse is now air-conditioned. Over 40 fans are installed on the ceiling of the pedestrian links at Entrances/Exits A and C, with a number of wall fans at Entrance/Exit A. MTRCL regularly deploys staff to check the fans at various entrances/exits and arranges cleaning by contractors to ensure that they are in good condition and normal operation. The Corporation will also examine the feasibility of installing additional fans, exhaust fans and cooling devices.
Note: Racecourse Station does not operate daily, hence not included. The station does not have public toilet, but there are public toilets at the Racecourse next to it.
Ends/Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Issued at HKT 13:01
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