TNAG-0855-FCO40-1065-Construction-of-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 1

MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

HKK 173/8

Ә

Mass Transit Railway Corporation Ordinance EOLLIEM ROO

(Chapter 270)

MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION

(A MENDMENT) EILL 1979

19 JUN1979

SK OFFICER

MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY REGULA TIONS 1979

Se

A

B

C

Introduction

Section 3 of the principal Ordinance establishes the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) to undertake the construction and operation of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR). The first section of the Modified Initial System (MIS) of the MTR between Kwun Tong and Shek Kip Mei is scheduled to come into operation on 1st October 1979 and the remainder of the MIS is due to be operational by early 1980.

Mass Transit Railway Corporation (Amendment) Bill 1979 Mass Transit Railway Regulations 1979

2

The purpose of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (Amendment Bill 1979 and the Mass Transit Railway Regulations 1979 at Annexes A ani B respectively is to enact the legislation which is considered necessary to ensure the safe operation of the MTR after it has been opened for the public conveyance of passengers.

3

It is essential that the operation, maintenance and safety of the MTR is of the highest possible standard and considerable discussion has taken place between the Government and the MTRC to determine the best means by which this can be achieved. The Government has a number of general requirements which the Corporation must meet, but it was considered that it would not be appropriate to incorporate into legislation more than was absolutely necessary for this purpose. The legislation is therefore limited to the appointment of railway inspectors, the defining of their powers, providing for the Chief Secretary to order that defects be remedied, the application of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Chapter 59), the notification and investigation of accidents and the issue by the Corporation of Operating Manuals. The other obligations of the MTRC will be set out in a Memorandum of Agreement between the Government and the Corporation. This will cover, inter alia, matters such as the provision of automatic continuous brakes, electrical power supply and control of environmental comitions. A draft of the proposed memorandum is at Annex C.

CONFIDENTIAL #

機密