Hong Kong transport chief dismisses alternative road services for airport arrivals in extreme weather, insists risks are against policy

Hong Kong’s transport minister on Saturday ruled out alternative road services for airport arrivals when rail lines shut down in extreme weather, insisting such risks ran against government policy.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung instead said rail giant the MTR Corporation, which is reviewing its typhoon response, could consider operating trains for a slightly longer period so passengers would not be stranded.

Lam told a radio programme on Saturday that he ruled out bringing in tourist coaches or introducing a regulated surcharge for taxis that pick up passengers in a storm, as the government in principle “does not encourage” anyone to use public transport in severe weather.

Stay put during storms, authorities advise arrivals at Hong Kong airport

“Road conditions are constantly changing in storms. Even if we make an assessment now, because it takes time, say 45 minutes or half an hour, to get to the destinations, conditions could go from safe to unsafe,” Lam warned. “A coach could encounter a flood on its way.”

He noted that Super Typhoon Vicente in 2012 had toppled a tree onto a power cable on the East Rail line, leaving passengers stuck in dark carriages for hours.

With the MTR’s response plan under review, Lam maintained that careful scrutiny had already been made for current arrangements and arriving travellers would be better off sheltering inside the terminal building.

“The risks are not minor if we continue to operate the railway under unsafe conditions, and it is a matter of trade-offs. Under such circumstances, we feel that the safest thing to do is to hope that travellers will stay inside the airport,” he said.

But he indicated that the MTR Corp could suspend services in a less abrupt manner. On Sunday, commuters on other open-air rail lines across the city were told to alight at the next station once the No 9 typhoon alert came into force.

“Could the trains complete the whole trip to allow those on board to reach their destinations?” Lam said. “Or maybe they can suspend services once trains reach an underground station? In the end, it is a matter of risk assessment.”

Hong Kong’s MTR Corp should review No 9 typhoon protocols: ex-Observatory head

Lam rejected adding covers to open-air tracks to enable all-weather operations, saying such structures would be too costly as they must withstand enormous wind pressure from train speeds of more than 80km/h. The installations might also overload existing overhead tracks, he warned.

The transport minister also resisted the idea of a blanket cancellation of incoming flights under higher typhoon warnings, pointing out the move would be more disruptive to passengers than having them wait inside the airport for “a couple of hours”.

Keeping planes flying as far as the conditions were safe would also ensure transit passengers could carry on with their trips regardless of road conditions in the city, he added.

Hong Kong coach boss driven to help as MTR passengers stranded in typhoon alert

Lam said authorities were working on solutions to make travellers “feel better” when stranded at the airport, such as setting up a ticket system for taxis to avoid queues.

“It’s always the same principle: people should stay indoors in a safe place if they can,” Lam said.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu earlier said the situation on Sunday with thousands of arrivals stranded at the airport and scrambling for taxis was “undesirable”, demanding the Transport and Logistics Bureau develop contingency plans with the MTR Corp and the Airport Authority.