Lawmakers on Tuesday accused the government of failing to monitor the MTR Corporation over its construction of the express rail link to Guangzhou – which they believe is partly to blame for the huge delay and cost overrun.
However, a principal engineer with the Highways Department, Henry Chan, told a Legislative Council committee probing the issue that the link was the first railway project where the government had engaged a professional consultant rather than monitoring it directly.
The link was originally expected to come into service in August this year, but has been postponed until the third quarter of 2018.
The latest estimate of the project is HK$85.3 billion – up from the original budget of HK$65 billion, and a revised estimate of HK$71.5 billion in August last year.
However, a principal engineer with the Highways Department, Henry Chan, told a Legislative Council committee probing the issue that the link was the first railway project where the government had engaged a professional consultant rather than monitoring it directly.
The link was originally expected to come into service in August this year, but has been postponed until the third quarter of 2018.
The latest estimate of the project is HK$85.3 billion – up from the original budget of HK$65 billion, and a revised estimate of HK$71.5 billion in August last year.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1218481-20151020.htm
