Discussion on papers 8 and 9

A. COOKSEY, Department of Transport Railway Inspectorate

Much as been said about the choice and different types of system available but also of selling the LRT system to a number of different bodies: Government, developers, local authorities and, very importantly, to the public. However, we all must take care to be clear about what we are selling, and we must be honest as to what we are selling, especially to the public. The price of misrepresenting the product could be extremely high. Some will know that in Hong Kong I walked into an enormous problem because the majority of the public, and even some of the involved Government Departments, did not appreciate the Tuen Mun LRT system was a modern tramway and not a mass transit railway. I am the first member of the Inspectorate to have an accident inquiry report published in Chinese and to have to conduct the investigation and system inspection with a police escort.