XN000022-1986-12-03 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1986

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MTR PLATFORM INCIDENT CLASSIFIED AS ACCIDENT

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THE INCIDENT ON NOVEMBER 19 IN WHICH AN MTR COMMUTER FELL ONTO THE TRACK HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED BY THE POLICE AS +PERSON ACCIDENTALLY INJURED+ SINCE THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR AMONG PASSENGERS ON THE PLATFORM, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON DAVID LAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS BY THE HON CHAN YING-LUN, MR LAN SAID OTHER THAN THE CASE THAT OCCURRED AT THE ADMIRALTY STATION ON APRIL 9, 1986 WHEN A MAN WAS PUSHED INTO THE FRONT OF A TRAIN ENTERING THE PLATFORM BY AN ASSAILANT WHO WAS LATER CONVICTED. THERE HAD BEEN NO CASE OF PASSENGERS BEING PUSHED OFF A PLATFORM.

AS FAR AS THE KCR WAS CONCERNED, THERE HAD NEVER BEEN ANY CASE OF PASSENGERS BEING PUSHED ONTO THE TRACK, HE SAID.

UNDER THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION ORDINANCE AND THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION ORDINANCE, THE TWO RAILWAY CORPORATIONS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR OPERATION.

+PUBLIC SAFETY IS INDEED THE PRIMARY CONCERN OF THE TWO RAILWAY CORPORATIONS,+ MR LAN SAID,

AS AN EFFECTIVE SAFETY MEASURE, REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE MADE THROUGH THE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM AT PEAK PERIODS AND AT TIMES WHEN THERE WERE LARGE CROWDS ON THE PLATFORMS TO ADVISE PEOPLE OF THE DANGER OF STEPPING IN FRONT OF THE YELLOW LINE.

MOREOVER, THE CORPORATIONS ALSO WARNED PASSENGERS WHO TRANSGRESSED IN FRONT OF THE YELLOW LINE EVEN WHEN THERE WAS NO TRAIN APPROACHING, HE SAID.

RISING FIGURES OF DIVORCE CASES EXPLAINED *****

INCOMPATIBILITY, THIRD PARTY INVOLVEMENT AND FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES ARE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE RISING FIGURES OF DIVORCE CASES, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LEE YU-TAI ABOUT THE RISING FIGURES OF DIVORCE CASES FROM 537 IN 1974 TO 5 047 IN 1985 - MR CHAMBERS SAID HE BASED HIS FINDING ON TWO RECENT PIECES OF RESEARCH INTO THE REASONS FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF MARRIAGES.

HE ADDED THAT ONE WAS CONDUCTED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT ON CHILD CUSTODY CASES HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THE OTHER ON A REPORT ON SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES PREPARED BY A SENIOR LECTURER IN SOCIAL WORK AT HONG KONG UNIVERSITY.

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