WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1987
23
TRAM LIFEGUARD DEVICE REMOVED AFTER DUE CONSIDERATION
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THERE IS NO CONCRETE PROOF THAT THE LIFEGUARD DEVICE AT THE FRONT CHASSIS OF TRAMS HAS BEEN AN EFFECTIVE DEVICE FOR SAVING THE LIFE OF A PERSON KNOCKED DOWN BY A TRAM, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON MICHAEL LEUNG, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TAM YIU-CHUNG, MR LEUNG SAID THE REMOVAL OF THE LIFEGUARD DEVICE FROM TRAMS IN AS PART OF THE PROGRAMME RECOMMENDED BY THE CONSULTANTS OF THE HONG KONG TRAMWAYS LTD TO REDUCE NOISE FROM TRAMS.
+ BECAUSE IT INVOLVED MODIFICATIONS TO A TRAM BODY, THE COMPANY SOUGHT THE ADVICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SERVICES LAST YEAR BEFORE DOING SO, HE SAID.
+THE DIRECTOR, AFTER CONSULTING OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING THE POLICE, HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT DEPARTMENTS, INFORMED THE COMPANY THAT HE HAS NO OBJECTION TO THE REMOVAL OF THE LIFEGUARD DEVICE,+ HE ADDED.
+ IT IS NO LONGER STANDARD PRACTICE ELSEWHERE TO FIT LIFEGUARDS ON TRAMS AND THIS IS NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT UNDER THE TRAMWAY ORDINANCE,+ HE ADDED.
MR LEUNG NOTED THAT THE ISSUE OF REMOVING LIFEGUARDS WAS NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY.
+THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY SOUGHT GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS, EVEN WHEN THERE WAS NO LEGAL OBLIGATION TO DO SO, INDICATES THAT IT DID NOT WISH TO ACT AGAINST THE PUBLIC INTEREST, HE SAID.
MR LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT GOVERNMENT ACCORDINGLY RESEARCHED ITS OWN RECORDS TO SEE IF THE LIFEGUARDS HAD REDUCED THE RISK OF
AND INJURY AND FATALITY AMONGST THE VICTIMS OF TRAM ACCIDENTS CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAD.
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