Letters | Why crowded Hong Kong MTR trains and bulky backpacks are not a good mix

MTR ambassadors should be more proactive in getting passengers to show consideration, especially when they are carrying backpacks

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A crowded carriage on October 16, when a signalling fault on the MTR network caused a six-hour disruption to services. At least one passenger is displaying backpack etiquette. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 5:01pm, 24 Dec 2018Updated: 5:00pm, 24 Dec 2018

I refer to Wilkie Wong’s “Rush hour on MTR no place for bulky bags” (December 20). I have no issue with large suitcases and bulky goods as they are few and far between. It’s those backpacks that I find annoying. They not only occupy spaces which could have accommodated more passengers during peak hours but, when these commuters decide to turn their bodies, they have no consideration for those standing next to them.

I urge the MTR train ambassadors to instruct these commuters to carry these backpacks in front of them when they board and on the train.

As for peak hour congestion, I note that despite the train ambassadors’ standard message telling passengers to move inside the compartment, such messages normally fall on deaf ears. Therefore, I urge the ambassadors to be more forceful, by pinpointing available spaces within the crowd and instructing passengers to move there to make room for the rest.

I would also like to refer to the report, “Shutdown chaos costs MTR Corp HK$8 million” (December 20). Such a penalty has a negligible impact on the stakeholders. How about linking failures to the deduction of the bonus payment of the responsible staff for each major failure?