Minutes of the 1st Special Meeting of
Traffic and Transport Committee (2016-17)
Central and Western District Council
Date / : / 19 April 2017 (Wednesday)Time / : / 5:00 pm
Venue / : / Conference Room
14/F, Harbour Building
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong
Present: / Chairman
Mr CHAN Choi-hi, MH*
Vice Chairman
Mr CHAN Ho-lim, Joseph / (5:31 pm – end of the meeting)
Members
Mr CHAN Chit-kwai, BBS, JP / (5:23 pm – end of the meeting)
Mr CHAN Hok-fung, MH*
Ms CHENG Lai-king*
Mr HUI Chi-fung*
Mr KAM Nai-wai, MH*
Mr LEE Chi-hang, Sidney, MH
Miss LO Yee-hang / (5:00 pm – 5:30 pm)
(5:00 pm – 6:06 pm)
Mr NG Siu-hong*
Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing*
Mr YEUNG Hok-ming*
Mr YIP Wing-shing, BBS, MH, JP*
Co-opted Members
Mr LEUNG King-yue, Alex*
Mr NG Wing-yan, MH*
Mr YIP Kam-lung, Sam*
Remarks: *Members that attended the whole meeting
( )The time of attendance of the Member
Item 2
Ms LOU Ching-yee, Esther / Engineer/Central and Western 1,
Transport Department
MrLEE Man-ho / Chief Transport Officer/Housing Project, Transport Department
MrLEUNG Kwok-man, Lautrec / Senior Transport Officer/Central and Western, Transport Department
Mr KAM Yuet-wang / District Engineer/Central, Highways Department
Mr CHIU Shung-hei / Accident Investigation Team(3)(Investigation & Support Division) (Traffic HK Island), Hong Kong Police Force
Mr WAN Wai-keung / Officer-in-Charge, District Traffic Team (Central District), Hong Kong Police Force
Mr LEE Yue-wah, Ellis / Senior Engineer/Railways 4, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department
Mr Cyril Aubin / General Manager, Hong Kong Tramways
Mr Benjamin LEE / Operations Manager, Hong Kong Tramways
In Attendance:
Mrs WONG HO Wing-sze, Susanne, JP / District Officer (Central and Western)
Ms WONG Suet-yi, Penny / Assistant District Officer (Central and Western)
Ms YEUNG Wing-shan, Grace / Senior Executive Officer (District Council),
Central and Western District Office
Secretary
Miss HUANG Hsiao-ching, Yuki / Executive Officer (District Council) 2,
Central and Western District Office
Absent with Apologies:
Mr CHEUNG Kwok-kwan, JP
Ms SIU Ka-yi
Miss NG Hoi-yan, Bonnie
Mr SIO Chan-in, Devin
Opening Remarks
The Chairman welcomed Members and representatives from government departments to the 1st special meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee (TTC) (2016-2017). The Committee attached great importance to the tram derailed and overturned accident which occurred at midnight on 6 April 2017. Therefore, the Committee called a special meeting with the government departments concerned and the Hong Kong Tramways Limited (HKT) to learn more about the causes of the accident.
Item 1:Adoption of the Agenda
2.The Committee adopted the meeting agenda.
Item 2:Concern over the Derailment of a Westbound Tram when Negotiating a Bend on Des Voeux Road Central
(C&W TTC Paper No. 39/2017)
Request for the Police, Transport Department and Hong Kong Tramways to Account for the “Tram Derailed and Overturned in Central” Incident
(C&W TTC Paper No. 40/2017)
(5:01 pm - 6:18 pm)
3.The Chairman invited discussion on the paper. The main points of Members’ comments were as follows:
a.Mr CHAN Hok-fung pointed out that several tram incidents had occurred in recent years;and the causes of this derailment accident were not provided in the reply from HKT. He said tram speed increased notably after HKT renewed the braking system, and believed that the new braking system indirectly caused this accident. He asked HKT that after replacingthe system, whether tram speed had increased and whether complaints received in relation to tram speed had also increased. He further enquired that whether the accident was related to the driving behaviour of the motorman.
b.Mr LEE Chi-hangunderstood that since the causes of the accident were still under investigation, it might be inappropriate for HKT to disclose details and thus did not explain the causes of the derailment in the reply. He hoped HKT and the Transport Department (TD) could guarantee that the tram system and related hardware were safe in order to allay public concern on tram safety.
c.Mr YEUNG Hoi-wingremarked that reply from HKT did not explain the causes of the derailment, nor the tram speed at the time of the incident. He continued that according to the video clip circulated onthe Internet, the tram speed was very fast. He hoped that the department concerned would investigate whether the tram was speeding at the time; and also enquiredthat what specific measures had been put in place by the department concerned to prevent trams from speeding.
d.Mr YEUNG Hok-mingindicatedthat speed limiters were already installed in trams to prevent derailment caused by speeding. He noted HKT’s reply had set out that alert signage was installed ahead of the “S curve” where the incident of 6 April happened, but he reckoned that straight road could also pose danger because motormen would drive at a relatively higher speed when travelling on a straight road. He asked whether HKT wouldtighten the settings of speed limiters to prevent motormen driving the trams at high speed. He requested HKT to introduce specific measures to prevent recurrence of accidents caused by trams travelling too fast.
e.Mr NG Siu-hongpointed out that tram accidents occurred frequently in recent years; and after the previous tram accident in the Western District, HKT said it would enhance staff members’knowledge on safe driving speed, but accident occurred again and this indicated that advice and training were insufficient for solving the problem. He asked HKT whether speed limiters were installed, if not, what were the reasons. He also enquired about the cleaning work for the track section concerned.
f.Mr HUI Chi-fungremarked that HKT’s reply had set out various measures adopted to prevent tram accidents at “black spots”. He asked that according to past records, whether the location of the accident was a traffic “blackspot” and whether trams were prone to derailment at that track section. Furthermore, he said HKT had issued internal guidelines to remind motormen not to operate trams at too slow a speed, and asked HKT whether the guidelines were one of the causes of this accident. He asked the reasons why HKT requested the motormen to increase tram speed, and the impact of slower tram speed on the operation of HKT.
g.Mr LEUNG King-yue reckoned that the curve where the accident happened was a traffic “black spot” for trams, and suggested HKT to remind motormen to drive carefully through the GPS system whenever the trams passed through the “black spots”. Furthermore, he suggested installing railing at the curve concerned to avoid trams flipping over if accidents unfortunately occurred. In addition, he enquired whether it was possible to use materials that could reduce tram vibration for paving road surface, and whether HKT had strengthenedtraining for motormen with less on-road experience. He continued that many lovers took wedding photographsat the curve concerned and enquired whether thearticlesleft behind caused the accident.
h.Mr YIP Kam-lungpointed out that the track section concerned had been renewed recently but was already accumulated with dirt, and asked HKT the frequency of track cleaning. He said trams tiltedslightly at the track section concerned and enquired about the gradient at which trams would flipover. He also asked whether the bus whizzing by had played a role in the accident; and whether certain paving materials could be used to reduce the tram speed.
i.Mr KAM Nai-wai said HKT had issued an internal notice titled “Speed Monitoring Data”,with the purpose of comparing whether the driving speed of the motormen was slower than the average speed, and established a ranking list at the same time. Motormen whose driving speed was particularly slow would be invited for an interview. He worried that this ranking initiative was the main cause of the accident. He asked HKT the reasons for issuing and withdrawing the notice concerned; and whether the frequent occurrence of derailment accidents was due to HKT requiring the motormen to increase tram speed.
j.Ms CHENG Lai-kingsaid HKT’s reply stated that laser guns were used to check speeds, she asked whether the purpose was to prevent tram speeding or to prevent tram speed being too slow. Furthermore, she suggested installing speed display panels on trams; and when tram speed was too fast, alarm bell would sound to remind motorman to observe the speed. She also enquired about the average tram speed as required by HKT; whether passengers were allowed to stand on the upper deck of a tram; and whether all motormen were informed of the traffic “black spots” which had higher accident risks during training. In addition, she asked whether the persons injured in this accident would receive compensation.
k.Mr YIP Wing-shing asked whether the “Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)” would generate psychological pressure on motormen. He requested HKT to make public the information recorded by the speed recorder as soon as possible; and to learn from this accident in order to prevent recurrence of such accidents in future.
l.The Chairman asked whether the rubble on tracks was one of the causes of the accident. He hoped HKT would provideinformation on the traffic “black spots” for trams after the meeting. Furthermore, he enquired about the progress of installing speed limiters in trams; whether the aforesaid HKT notice contributed to the cause of the accident; whether the TD had issued safety guidelines to HKT; and whether the Police had monitored the speeding situation of trams.
4.Mr LEE man-ho, Chief Transport Officer/Housing Project of the TD, responded that the TD was very concerned about this derailment accident, but since the incident was still under investigation, the TD was not in a position to disclose the details. Generally speaking, tram derailment might be caused by mechanical or braking system problems; cable or track problems; driving skills and behaviours of motormen; or external factors. As the incident was still under investigation, the causes of the accident were yet to be known. Nevertheless, according to the findings of the investigation conducted by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) on several tram derailment accidents that occurred earlier, those accidents were not related to mechanical parts, tracks and cables of the trams; and HKT’s report reckoned that the accidents were caused by the motormen driving at a speed which exceeded the one stipulated by HKT when travelling on the track sectionswhere the accidents happened. In order to monitor tram speed and driving performance of the motormen, HKTinstalled “black boxes” and speed limiters in trams. Furthermore, HKT did not inform the TD about implementing a speed monitoring programme. After learning about the programme, the TD immediately wrote to HKT and enquired about the reasons for implementing the programme and its purpose, as well as reviewed the arrangement concerned. After the accident, HKT immediately suspended the programme. The TD considered that motormen should drive at a safe speed according to actual traffic conditions; and if the programme would lead to motormen compete among themselves on driving speed, it was unacceptable; but if the programme aimed to make the motormen who drove at an exceptionally slow speed to adjust to normal speed, then this was understandable. The TD would liaise with HKT to understand the purpose of the programme, and the means employed to achieve satisfactory results.
5.Mr CHIU Shung-hei, Accident Investigation Team(3) (Investigation & Support Division) (Traffic HK Island) of the Hong Kong Police Force, responded that the Police patrolled the location concerned from time to time, and if any obstacles or rubbish were found, action would be taken at once to deal with the matter. Technically speaking, the Police could use laser gun to monitor tram speed. The Police was very concerned about speeding, and actions of different forms and scales were taken to combat speeding from time to time. Furthermore, speed limit for trams was based on the standards for roads, which in general was 50km per hour(km/h) at the maximum. He added that the Police did not have prosecution statistics against tram speeding.
6.Mr Cyril Aubin, General Manager of HKT, apologised for the accident. He said HKT was fully assisting the investigation with the Police, the TD and relevant government departments. HKT put safety of operationsas an absolute priority, and to prevent derailment incidents, speed recorders (commonly known as “blackbox”) were installed in all trams in October last year to record tram speed and to provide relevant data for analysis, which could be used as a tool to prevent accident. Moreover, in respond to the tram accident that occurred in February this year, HKT monitored tram speed at key areas. The maximum tram speed was capped at 50 km/h, while that for new trams was 42km/h, and speed restriction was also imposed in curves. HKTensured all newly recruited motormen knew the speed restriction imposed incurves through examination; and installed speed checking devices at designated locations to ensure trams would not break speed limits. In addition, HKT provided adequate training for motormen. Duration of training for newly recruited motormen was eight weeks, and might be extended depending on the needs of individual motormen. For the first two years, performance of the motormen would be assessed every month.
7.Mr Aubin continued that the section of track concerned had been completely renewed in January this year. The groove of the track was 49 mm deep and the part of the wheel that went in the track was 19 mm, so the dirt in the track would not affect the safety of the trams. HKT had established guidelines for monitoring the cleanliness of the tracks. He reiterated that HKT put safety of operations as an absolute priority and had never requested the motormen to drive fast. The notice concerned was part of a programme to improve tram speed, aimingto shorten the journey time of trams to avoid lost trips, so as to achieve the requirements of the service schedules. The programme also included installing black boxes and laser guns for checking speeds. HKT had communicated a lot with the union and motormen to discuss the measures for preventing trams speeding. In addition, HKT would conduct random checks in specific locations to prevent speeding. He pointed out that the programme aimed to identify scientifically which motormen were running slower than average speed at the same time on the same location. He acknowledged that this form of communication was inappropriate and caused misunderstanding; hence HKT had withdrawn the notice.
8.The Chairman invited second-round discussion. The main points of Members’ comments were as follows:
a.Mr CHAN Chit-kwaisaid the only blessing in this unfortunate incident was that it occurred at midnight; if the accident happened in day time, the consequences could be dire. He hoped HKT would learn from this experience. He opined that this accident was related to HKT requesting motormen not to drive too slowly, and asked whether HKT would suspend the programme. He said there were rumours that motormen competed with each other because of the programme, and asked HKT what measures would be adopted to improve the driving behaviours of motormen. Furthermore, he hoped HKT would explain further on the rail jacket technology.
b.Mr YEUNG Hok-ming remarked that HKT emphasized on efficiency, and a motorman once told him that he/she only had 15-minute meal break. While this might be an individual case, Mr YEUNG hoped that HKT would respect the rights of its staff members and provide adequate rest time to avoid affecting tram safety.
c.Mr NG Siu-hong asked whether HKT had examined the reasons for relevant motormen to have especially slow tram speed; and whether the TD would set a maximum speed for tramsto facilitate effective enforcement by the Police. Furthermore, he enquired whether HKT had any plan to install speed limiters in all trams.
d.Mr HUI Chi-fungcommented that speeding, as just discussed, had a lot to do with this accident. Nevertheless, he pointed out that if the speed limit for trams followed the limit applicable to relevantroad, then trams would not overspeedbecause it was actually impossible for tramsto travel at such speed. He thus enquired about the safe driving speed for the curve where the accident happened. In addition, the TD said the location concerned was not a traffic “black spot”, while HKT’s reply mentioned measures to prevent accidents from occurring atthe “black spots” for trams. He asked whether the location concerned was a traffic “black spot”. As regards HKT issued guidelines to notify motormen that their driving speed would be monitored, and the data collected would be used to identify motormen with slower driving speed; he reckoned that although the aim of the notice was not requesting the motormen to accelerate, it indirectly caused them to increase tram speed. He opined that the TD should, in conjunction with HKT, set a maximum speed for trams.