XN000022-1986-01-22 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1986

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HE SAID OF THE EIGHT CASES THREE INVOLVED ADULTS, OF WHICH TWO WERE ATTRIBUTABLE TO INFIRMITY.

THE THIRD INVOLVED A 60-YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO DIED OF A HEART ATTACK WHILE WALKING UP AN ESCALATOR WHICH WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME.

THE OTHER ACCIDENTS ALL INVOLVED SMALL CHILDREN AND WERE MAINLY CAUSED BY INADEQUATE ADULT SUPERVISION, MR TODD SAID.

ONE OF THESE ACCIDENTS WAS FATAL WHEN AN 18-MONTH OLD GIRL FELL TO HER DEATH THROUGH A GAP BETWEEN THE ESCALATOR AND THE ADJOINING PARAPET WALL.

+ALL THE ESCALATORS CONCERNED WERE FOUND ON SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION TO BE IN SAFE WORKING ORDER, MR TODD SAID.

HE SAID THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION WITH ALMOST 400 ESCALATORS WAS MUCH THE LARGEST OPERATOR OF ESCALATORS IN HONG KONG.

THE MOST RECENT FIGURES AVAILABLE RELATED TO THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1985, THE PERIOD FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE ISLAND LINE.

DURING THAT QUARTER, 104 PASSENGERS WERE INVOLVED IN ESCALATOR-RELATED ACCIDENTS, OF WHOM 10 REQUIRED HOSPITAL TREATMENT.

THE MAIN CAUSE OF THESE ACCIDENTS, HE SAID, WAS PEOPLE

LOSING THE IR BALANCE WHEN USING THE ESCALATOR.

AGAIN THE ESCALATORS WERE IN SAFE WORKING CONDITION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENTS.

+TO PUT THESE FIGURES IN PERSPECTIVE I SHOULD ADD THAT DURING THE PERIOD 127 MILLION PASSENGERS TRAVELLED ON THE RAILWAY,+ MR TODD SAID.

INDUSTRIAL BANK NOT NECESSARY

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FS

THE SETTING UP OF AN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BANK WOULD INEVITABLY BE BOTH EXPENSIVE FOR THE TAX-PAYER AND WHOLLY OPPOSED TO LONG-STANDING POLICY, WHICH HAS DEMONSTRABLY SERVED HONG KONG WELL, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON SIR JOHN BREMRIDGE SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING A QUESTION FROM THE HON NGAI SHU-KIT, SIR JOHN SAID A COMMITTEE HAD BEEN SET UP BY THE GOVERNOR IN 1959 TO CONSIDER THE NEED FOR AN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BANK AND IT ADVISED THAT NO SUCH NEED EXISTED.

/HE NOTED