15
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1993
LRT SAFETY MEASURES ENHANCED
*
MEASURES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED DURING PEAK HOURS AT LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) BUSY STOPS TO IMPROVE PASSENGER SAFETY, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR HAIDER BARMA, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY
(WEDNESDAY).
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ZACHARY WONG WAI- YIN, MR. BARNA SAID: "TO ENHANCE PASSENGER SAFETY AND MINIMISE OVERCROWDING AT THE BUSIEST STOPS, SEPARATE STOPPING POSITIONS ARE MARKED OUT FOR DIFFERENT ROUTES."
"IN ADDITION, A PASSENGER QUEUING SCHEME HAS BEEN INTRODUCED AT BUSY STOPS WITH PLATFORM ASSISTANTS ON HAND TO HELP WITH CROWD CONTROL DURING THE MORNING PEAK RUSH, HE SAID.
"
MR BARMA SAID OF THE 122 LRT PLATFORMS, 111 WERE AT LEAST THREE METRES WIDE AND 40 METRES LONG.
FOUR ROAD AT
HE SAID ADDITIONAL PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS WERE PROVIDED AT OF THE NARROWER PLATFORMS SO THAT PASSENGERS CAN CROSS THE BITHER END OF THE PLATFORM.
NO POLICY TO ENCOURAGE MORE USE OF BLASTING
IN
BLASTING
THERE IS NO POLICY TO ENCOURAGE MORE FREQUENT USE OF DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, JAMES BLAKE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR
"FOR GOVERNMENT DEMOLITION OR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, ALL PRACTICAL METHODS WILL BE CONSIDERED, AND THE MOST SUITABLE TECHNIQUE, WILL BE SELECTED.
"IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THE USE OF BLASTING FOR DEMOLITION IS CONSIDERED BY THE BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
WORK
"IT WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE MERITS OF ADOPTING SUCH METHOD, THE AVAILABILITY OF THE NECESSARY EXPERTISE, AND THE ABILITY TO COMPLY WITH ALL THE SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS, HE SAID.
17
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHIM PUI-CHUNG, BLAKE SAID DEMOLITION BY BLASTING WAS MORE COST EFFECTIVE.
MR
HOWEVER, IN DENSELY POPULATED AREAS WHERE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF PROTECTIVE MEASURES NEED TO BE TAKEN, THE BLASTING METHOD MIGHT BE MORE COSTLY THAN CONVENTIONAL METHODS, HE SAID.
ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT RECORDS, THE ONLY DEMOLITION PROJECT THAT EMPLOYED A BLASTING TECHNIQUE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WAS THE DEMOLITION OF THE DESALTER CHIMNEYS AT LOK ON PAI.
/HOWEVER, BLASTING