雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】YESTERDAY a fifteen-year-old British girl in a scarf died at a kart circuit. It is suspected she was strangled when the scarf she wore became tangled with a sprocket in the rear engine of the go-kart she was driving. The accident could have been prevented. It happened most probably because of negligence. The accident shows karting is not effectively regulated in Hong Kong.

英語

15歲英籍少女戴頸巾駕駛小型賽車（又稱高卡車），懷疑頸巾被捲入車尾高速轉動的引擎鏈輪，成為殺死少女的兇器。這是一樁意外，原本可以避免，只是疑涉人為疏忽，使慘劇發生，而意外暴露了高卡車運作缺乏有效監管。

普通話

A video shown to beginners at the kart circuit does remind players not to wear a scarf. The same rule is listed on a notice posted there about safety. People who work there certainly know it is extremely dangerous to be in a scarf while driving a go-kart. Had they reminded the girl not to wear a scarf or required her to take it off, she would not have died.

英語

發生意外的小型賽車場，給「新丁」講授相關課程時，所播映錄影帶有提醒玩家不能戴頸巾。另外，場內告示牌所列舉的安全事項，也有同樣提示。場內工作人員一定知道戴頸巾駕高卡車極之危險，若他們提醒甚或強制英籍少女不要戴頸巾進場，她不會死。

普通話

Four government departments have said they have no business to regulate karting. The Transport Department has said it does not monitor go-karts, which do not travel on public roads. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has said it has nothing to do with go-karts because they are not amusement rides. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has said it does not monitor kart circuits. Government departments take such an attitude actually for one reason - that the government regards karting as a racing sport rather than an amusement activity which members of the public may take part in. If it were regarded as an amusement activity, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department would have to ensure go-karts are safe as required by the Amusement Rides (Safety) Ordinance. However, because karting is regarded as a sport, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has no power to regulate it.

英語

政府方面，四個部門均稱小型賽車場不屬其管理範圍。運輸署表示，小型賽車不在公共道路行駛，不由該署監管；機電工程署稱，小型賽車不屬於機動遊戲，與他們無關；康文署也稱，小型賽車場不由他們監管。政府部門這個取態，其實有一個根本原因，就是政府不當小型賽車為公衆可以參與的遊樂活動，而是視之為一種鬥快的體育活動。因為若屬遊樂活動，機電工程署就要按照《機動遊戲機（安全）條例》規管，小型賽車既然是體育運動，機電署也就無權監管。

普通話

However, strictly speaking, it is doubtful whether it is right for the government not to regulate karting just because it regards it as a sport. Take Autopia cars at Hong Kong Disneyland. Those electrical vehicles move slowly along a rail. Such a vehicle will not go off the rail however wildly the player turns its steering wheel. They are controlled not by their drivers, but by a computer. One may say they are very safe. Nevertheless, they are monitored by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

英語

不過，嚴格而言，政府視小型賽車為體育運動而不監管，是否恰當，值得斟酌。就以迪士尼樂園的電動軌車為例，它受到軌道規限，緩慢前進，玩者置身其中，就算狂扭軑盤，軌車也不會離開軌道，因為軌車實際由電腦控制，並非由「駕駛者」操控，可謂甚為安全。但是即使如此，電動軌車還要受機電署監管。

普通話

Furthermore, amusement rides like the Ferris wheel at the Hong Kong Winter Carnival (which has taken place many times) and bumper cars in indoor amusement places are monitored by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. Nevertheless, no government department ensures the safety of go-karts, which may race at such a high speed as 120 km per hour on a circuit. The Hong Kong Kart Club is supposed to the regulator of the sport. However, it does so nominally rather than actually. Safety at kart circuits does give cause for concern.

英語

同樣地，以往在本港舉行多次的「冬日繽紛嘉年華」，場內各種電動遊戲包括摩天輪等，和現在個別室內遊樂場所的碰碰車都受機電署監管；但是，速度高達60至120公里的高卡車，在賽道上風馳電掣奔馳，卻不受任何政府部門監管，而有「監管」之責的小型賽車會，只有監察之名，卻無監察之實。高卡車的安全問題，確實值得關注。

普通話

The Home Affairs Bureau has worked together with the Hong Kong Kart Club and the operator of the kart circuit in dealing with the aftermath of the deadly go-kart accident. In our view, as the Hong Kong Kart Club is not a statutory body, it is doubtful whether it can be an effective regulator. Karting is an activity that poses some risk. To ensure go-karters' safety, the government should regulate it regardless of whether it is a sport or an amusement activity.

英語

高卡車奪命意外發生後，看當局的處理，由民政事務局出面與香港小型賽車會及賽車場營辦商處理善後工作。我們認為，小型賽車會並非法定機構，其監管成效值得質疑，對小型賽車這種有危險的活動，政府其實不宜囿於它屬於遊樂抑或體育活動，應該納入正規監管，以確保參加者的安全。

普通話

明報社評 2010.02.19

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Mr. Nathan Nexus Phua

Lecturer, Hong Kong Community College, PolyU

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=1098

周文駿

香港專上學院講師

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=big5&cms=651

Powered by and