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October 26, 2015

We can learn from Friday's chaos: Anthony Cheung

  • Friday's cut off of the only rail and road link to Lantau triggered traffic chaos that affected thousands of people and delayed dozens of flights. RTHK file photo
    Friday's cut off of the only rail and road link to Lantau triggered traffic chaos that affected thousands of people and delayed dozens of flights. RTHK file photo
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Hung Wing-tat speaks to RTHK's Janice Wong
The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Anthony Cheung, said on Monday that lessons can be learned from Friday's traffic chaos, during which road transport to Hong Kong International Airport was shut down for two hours.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, he said he will carry out an inter-departmental meeting this week to review their handling of the event.

On Friday evening, a large cargo vessel was suspected to have hit the Kap Shui Mun Bridge, forcing it to shut for emergency inspections. That cut off the only rail and road link to Lantau, resulting in the island and the airport getting cut off from the rest of Hong Kong. The logjam it created affected thousands of people including many on their way to the airport. Dozens of flights to various parts of the world were also delayed.

Cheung said procedures used in their annual emergency drill were followed on Friday. 

An associate professor from Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hung Wing-tat, who also studies transport infrastructure development, said the government should look into having temporary speed boat services that connect Hong Kong island and Kowloon to the airport when incidents like the one of Friday happen.

http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1219589-20151026.htm