ELIZABETH CHEUNG
ELIZABETH.CHEUNG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 13 October, 2015, 6:26pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 13 October, 2015, 10:56pm
Musicians stage a protest at Tai Wai station earlier this month. Photo: Sam Tsang
An instrument registration scheme will be launched by the MTR in November after a number of musicians with large instruments were barred from the transport system.
MTR operations director Dr Jacob Kam Chak-pui said passengers could register their instuments and carry them on the system even if they were slightly bigger than current limits, which bar the carriage of anything with total dimensions exceeding 170 centimetres or with a side that is longer than 130cm.
READ MORE: Hong Kong musicians oppose MTR ban on large instruments with one voice
The registration scheme will run on a trial basis during non-peak hours for several months from November. However, not all big instruments, such as harps, will be exempted under the scheme.
“There will still be certain size limits. But definitely cellos can be brought on board,” said Kam, adding that the new arrangement chimes with opinions heard from musicians.
“We will adjust the arrangement based on the actual operational situation,” he said.
Further details of the scheme, such as registration methods and its exact running time, will be announced later this month after discussion with government departments.
Kam said in the long run they hoped to extend the scheme to sports equipment. He said further detailed study was needed as the definition of what could be carried would be broader than just musical instruments.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1866947/hong-kongs-rail-operator-introduces-registration
