MTR pleas for an end to vandalism

Hong Kong's embattled rail operator MTR Corporation on Friday called for a stop to malicious vandalism of the railway's facilities.

The MTR has been facing an "unprecedented challenge" over the past 18 turbulent weeks of protests sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, with some stations running out of spare parts to repair damaged facilities.

To date, 83 of MTR's 91 stations and 42 of its 68 Light Rail stops have been vandalized by radical protesters. Damaged equipment includes 800 turnstiles, 500 ticketing machines, 400 fare deduction readers at Light Rail stops, 700 CCTV cameras and 12 passenger lifts, according to Sammy Wong Kwan-wai, MTR's chief of operations.
What's more, some 10 station entrances have had to be closed to prevent damage to the facilities and reduce risk to passengers and frontline staff.
"Over recent weeks, vandalism in MTR stations has escalated, with radicals setting fires outside station entrances and throwing objects onto the railway tracks," said Adi Lau Tin-shing, operations director of MTR, at a press briefing on Friday.
Lau called for a stop to the irresponsible and malicious acts, which could cause serious accidents and endanger the safety of passengers. He said people involved in such acts should take the safety of the public and their own into consideration. The proper use of stations and trains should be observed.