The quintessential Hong Kong experience of squeezing onto a MTR train, elbow to elbow, is about to get a lot more unpleasant.
With the government estimating 100 million tourists in 2013, harassed commuters are asking whether the city’s railway system can cope with the influx of tourists. Currently, as many as 1,000 people can wait on the platform of Admiralty station during peak hours, sometimes seeing four full trains go by before they can squeeze on.
Critics have pointed out that although Hong Kong has planned its major infrastructure well, it is not planning for same-day-return visitors from the mainland, which puts more pressure on the transport system than overnight travellers. Suggested remedies include adding shopping malls near the border to decrease the burden on the transport system.
Source: SCMP
Photo: Adam Selwood
