01 perspective
Written by: Comment Editor
2020-02-14 17:50
Last updated: 2020-02-14 17:51Under the new pneumonia epidemic, three new stations in the first phase of the Tunma Line were opened on Friday (14th), but there was no large flow of people. However, the excitement of railway fans was not impaired, and East Rail passengers were also happy to have another transfer option.
The Tuen Ma Line could have been directly connected to Hung Hom and penetrated east and west. However, due to the historical monuments and tofu residue project, the progress has been lagging behind. It is even more tempting for Hong Kong people to pay for overspending. To solve the dilemma, the government must regain control of railway development and operation.
The problem started with the listing of MTR
The problem of the Tun Ma Line can be said to be the result of wrong decisions over and over again.
First of all, MTR is listed. In its IPO in 2000, MTR stated that MTR's investment in any new railway project needed to have an appropriate commercial rate of return. If the estimated total revenue of a railway project, after deducting the estimated total expenditure, is less than the expected return on capital, it is financially infeasible. In assessing the financial arrangements of the Tun Ma Line, the government did not believe that MTR could be the sole funder of the fund, so the government directly approved the payment, which is a service operation right model. This clause indicates that MTR may refuse to erode its business and push ahead with the project. More importantly, the service operation right model is easy to constitute a financial loophole, that is, the MTR has no responsibility to "keep the actual number". As a result, the MTR has repeatedly overrun expenditures of at least 16.5 billion yuan, which has pushed the total construction cost to 97.1 billion yuan. In the end, the government has to ask for additional funding.
Secondly, MTR neglected to supervise the contractors. The construction of the Tun Ma Line has been tortuous since 2012. Some are "non-war crimes". For example, cultural relics are found, but more are engineering faults. For example, the wall of the Tokuwan Station was cut, and the settlement near the exhibition station was severe. It is irritating that the steel bars on the platform of Hung Hom Station were cut, the screw heads were not installed, the documents such as the "Inspection and Measurement Application Form" (RISC) were incomplete and counterfeit, and MTR and major contractor Leighton Asia repeatedly concealed the incident. Arrogant towards the media and the public, disregarding engineering and passenger safety. The Tun Ma Line was originally scheduled to open at the end of 2018, but only three stations were opened this year.
Thirdly, the Government's over-reliance on MTR. The government is the funder of the Tun Ma Line and a major shareholder of MTR. Accountability and technical bureaucracy are on the board of directors. The Highways Department plays the role of "check the checker" and has been meeting with MTR to follow up engineering. In the end, from accountability to department-level officials, they almost knew nothing about the project's mistakes. It was not until the media revealed that the subcontractors broke the news and the government woke up. This monitoring method reflects the government's excessive reliance on the MTR to implement the project, thinking that the MTR has rules and regulations, so the complexity is simplified, and the MTR directly supervises the government.
The three major problems continue in the same vein. MTR's track record is obvious to all, and it is easy to gain the trust of the government. Even if there are problems with the project, it is difficult for the outside world to detect them early. Furthermore, because MTR is the only local railway operator and a listed company, the Government, as a major shareholder, will not allow MTR to get into trouble, and MTR is even more self-reliant. The MTR has not yet learned its lessons after the high-speed rail overdraft scandal was an example.
The effectiveness of the commission of inquiry is questionable
MTR executives have resigned and left office successively. The Hong Kong Government has also set up an investigation committee to thoroughly investigate the incident, but the storm on the Tuen Ma Line has never ended. The unopened station is still under construction and remediation, and the overspending trend continues to rise, and the dedicated investigation is still in the second half.
It is worth noting that whether the commission of inquiry can determine the truth for the storm is still a question mark. For example, in the interim report published last year, it was determined early on that the structure of the Hung Hom Station extension was structurally safe, but the tests and inspections of the concrete were not completed. It was too fast to "release" MTR and its contractors. The committee's submission of its final report has also been repeatedly delayed, twice from the end of August last year to the end of March this year. In addition, one of the contractors, Zhongke Xingye, withdrew from the hearing, attacking the commission for investigating the fact that it was never truthful and undoubtedly hurting the committee's credibility.
In addition to investigating the truth, the governance of MTR also needs to be completely reformed. During the storm, the society talked about it, and then it calmed down. Last year's Policy Address mentioned that the Transport and Housing Bureau had studied the most effective mode for monitoring the MTR, including setting up a new department to handle and supervise railway planning and construction matters, but did not provide a timetable and roadmap. The anti-revision campaign and the new pneumonia epidemic situation may have disrupted deployment, but we cannot stop there. After all, Hong Kong people have already endured the MTR's monopoly and the government's tolerance.
Repurchase MTR, take back regulatory powers
In view of the problems arising from the Tuen Ma Line, the investigation report cannot be further delayed, and the people of Hong Kong should also be accounted for. The government must be painstaking. The construction of new routes in the future must abandon the model of service operation rights. It must not only focus on service operation costs, and MTR should be responsible for project overruns, and it needs to be closely supervised by the supervision department mentioned in the previous paragraph. If the original source is to be cleared, the government should buy back the MTR and restore the MTR to a pure railway construction and operation of the public sector. Only in this way will the MTR executives realize that convenience for the public is the most important goal.
On the eve of the opening of the new route, MTR sold advertisements on TV to promote the convenience of the route and the addition of new community facilities. It did not mention delaying overspending and opening to traffic, as if these bad things never existed. Advertisements belong to advertisements. The MTR has been so confused, and various investigations have not yet been concluded. Will Hong Kong people easily forget?
01 perspective
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