Replies to initial written questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2012-13 Director of Bureau : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Session No. 12 File name : cedb(cit)- doc
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- Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2012-13
Question : Ngong Ping 360 has been plagued by operation troubles. A two-month service suspension for component replacement followed the incident of 25 January 2012, the third day of the Chinese New Year, when visitors were stranded mid-air in the cold at 3oC for two hours due to a bearing fault. The successive incidents have raised concern among Mainland and foreign visitors about the service and reliability of Ngong Ping 360. What policies and measures did the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch adopt during 2011-12 to “co-ordinate with relevant government departments and the tourism sector to facilitate the smooth operation of Ngong Ping 360”? Has the Administration reviewed the inadequacy of the above co-ordination, and how much human resources are taken up by such work? In view of the inadequacy of the above co-ordination, will the Government deploy additional manpower and resources to strengthen and enhance co-ordination in 2012-13, in particular contingency measures and services to cope with such disruptions, if so, what are the details, if not, would it consider the above enhancement proposal? Asked by : Hon. TSE Wai-chun, Paul Reply : The Government is very concerned about the recent spate of service suspension of the Ngong Ping 360 ropeway, particularly the latest incident on 25 January 2012 that led to visitors being stranded in car cabins for nearly two hours. The Government has asked the Ngong Ping 360 Limited (NP360) to maintain high safety standards and reliable service as well as to be sensitive to visitors’ needs. After conducting a preliminary investigation into the incident of 25 January, the NP360 announced on 3 February the extension of the suspension of cable car service for two months in order to replace the bearings of all seven sets of bullwheels of the ropeway system and advance the annual examination for this year. During the suspension period, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) will monitor closely the progress of the repair work and tests of the NP360. Approval for the resumption of cable car service will be contingent on satisfactory test results. All along, the design, construction, installation, operation and maintenance of the Ngong Ping 360 ropeway are under the supervision of the EMSD in accordance with the Aerial Ropeways (Safety) Ordinance. The Government has been closely liaising with the Mass Transit Railway Corporation Limited and the NP360 to monitor its safe operation, advise on its operation, particularly in providing assistance and support, in respect of its rescue plan and transportation arrangements during contingencies, etc. In accordance with the established reporting mechanism, the NP360 is required to inform, within 30 minutes of occurrence, the EMSD, the Tourism Commission (TC), the Transport Department (TD), the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) of suspension of cable car service that is expected to last for 30 minutes or more, so that relevant government departments are kept abreast of the latest developments and can provide the necessary advice and support. The NP360 is also required to notify tour groups that have made bookings to ensure that visitors affected can revise their itineraries as soon as possible. With regard to the incident of 25 January 2012, the TC considered that the NP360’s contingency measures, the communication mechanism with the travel trade and passengers in the event of service disruptions, as well as the notification arrangements of service suspension not satisfactory. The TC has instructed the NP360 to make improvements, including substituting the broadcast of recorded messages with live broadcasts. The Company management has also been asked to disseminate news of incidents expeditiously to the media and visitors; and to ensure that notification to alert visitors heading for the cable car ride of suspension of service would not be delivered through print alone. The TC is working with relevant government departments, including the EMSD, the TD, the FSD and the Police etc, in monitoring and assisting the Company management in completing the review before the resumption of operation. The TC and the EMSD will carry out the above monitoring, co-ordination and review work with existing resources. No additional expenses will be incurred. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||