Editorial : MTR's rail monopoly should end
文章日期:2021年10月21日

【明報專訊】AS it has been proposed that a number of railways will be constructed in the planned Northern Metropolis, whether the rail projects will be monopolised by the MTR Corporation has become a concern. The government said that some projects can be put out to public tender. Although introducing competition can theoretically help to control project costs, the MTR Corp will still have a significant advantage over others unless the authorities are determined to address the problem of "rail monopoly". The government's policy has been slanted in favour of the MTR for long. But from mega rail projects to daily operation, the performance of the MTR over the past decade or so has been far below public expectations. The large number of future rail projects in the city has raised doubts about whether the company can handle so many projects as well as worries of the return of old problems like cost overruns and project delays. There are also concerns about whether the authorities' continuous use of the "rail plus property" model to initiate projects will make the MTR Corp even more "sidetracked by non-core businesses" and make it more and more like a property developer. "Rail monopoly" is an issue that must be faced squarely. If the government really wants to introduce competition, it must do the work thoroughly rather go through the motions merely.

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