XN000022-1988-07-26 — Page 10

TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1988

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO LRT ACCIDENT

THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPOINTED MR ALAN COOKSEY, THE DEPUTY CHIEF INSPECTING OFFICER OF THE UK DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, ΤΟ HEAD AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO YESTERDAY'S FATAL ACCIDENT INVOLVING A LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE AND A VAN.

KWAN, LEGISLATIVE

MR COOKSEY WILL BE ASSISTED BY MR CHENG HON COUNCILLOR, AND BY MR BRIAN HARBORD, AN EXPERT IN TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS.

THE INVESTIGATION IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN A A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

FEW DAYS,

PENDING THE REPORT OF THE INVESTIGATION, THE LRT WILL NOT RESUME THEIR SCHEDULED PRACTICE RUNS OF THEIR VEHICLES.

THE REPORT WILL BE MADE PUBLIC.

THE KCRC HAS DECIDED TO DELAY THE COMMERCIAL OPENING OF THE LRT TO ALLOW MORE TIME FOR PRACTICE RUNNING OF THE SYSTEM. A NEW DATE FOR THE OPENING WILL BE DECIDED AFTER THE FULL SAFETY REPORT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.

UNDER THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION ORDINANCE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY MAY DIRECT AN INSPECTOR TO INVESTIGATE INTO AN NOTIFIABLE ACCIDENT OR OCCURRENCE.

THE PARAMOUNT PURPOSE OF SUCH AN INVESTIGATION 19 то DETERMINE THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND CAUSES OF THE ACCIDENT OR OCCURRENCE WITH A VIEW TO AVOIDING SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN FUTURE.

MR COOKSEY IS CURRENTLY IN HONG KONG AFTER BEING COMMISSIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO EXAMINE THE OVERALL OPERATION AND SAFETY OF THE LRT SYSTEM BEFORE ITS OPENING.

HIS REPORT ON THE SAFETY OF THE SYSTEM WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE CAUSES OF THE RECENT INCIDENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THE PRACTICE RUNNING OF THE RAILWAY.

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