Battered rail network must be given easier ride for sake of city
- Stations are being turned into battlegrounds amid increasing violence and, despite services returning to normal fairly quickly, some people are thinking twice about going by train
City train operations are becoming increasingly unsafe and unreliable through the violent actions of protesters that lead to service suspensions, stations turning into battlegrounds, facilities being vandalised and staff being harassed.
Damage caused to MTR property is getting worse and has to be stopped as anger over perceived police brutality and government inaction continues to rage.
In the latest incident on Sunday a mob, angry that Central station had been closed, smashed glass panels and set light to a pile of cardboard and wood at one of its entrances.
Describing such scenes as the most tremendous challenge it has faced in its 40 years of operations, the MTR Corporation condemned the violence and urged all sectors to treasure and safeguard the train system – and rightly so.
This is no doubt a testing time for the railway giant. Despite repeated incidents and disruptions, train services have generally resumed pretty quickly.
This owes much to the hard work of the teams behind the scenes. However, the company has paid a heavy price, not only in terms of its corporate image, but also through the cost of repairs and expected loss in revenue caused by the downturn.
As a government-owned public transport provider, the MTR would probably have been embroiled in the extradition bill saga sooner or later.
But many believe it has only got itself to blame. The company initially won praise for its flexible operations during protests, such as allowing those caught up in incidents to travel free.
Some MTR stations cannot survive more protest vandalism, railway union says
However, following criticism by state media, it was then accused of bowing to pressure and collaborating over deployment and tactics with police and government.
Unlike the airport, where disruption may be reduced by controlling traffic to Lantau Island, the railway network is far more accessible and thereby vulnerable. Various suggestions have been made on how to curb vandalism and reduce trouble, such as having more police in high-risk areas.
But with so many travellers and stations across the city, manpower is an issue, and it has to be considered whether such measures would fuel further clashes.
As with the government and police, the MTR is also struggling to restore public trust. But, despite however dissatisfied they are, protesters have no excuse to resort to violence.
Vandalism has not only breached the court injunction against protests within MTR premises, but has also ignored the right of others to safe and reliable public transport.
Although services run normally most of the time, some people are already having doubts about going by train. Police also need to be reminded that their enforcement actions inside stations and trains affect operations. Concerted efforts must be made to put quality train services back on track.
