(The Standard P. 4 5 Feb 2013) Anger
erupted(爆發)along the East Rail Line yesterday as the MTR
tightened luggage restrictions (收緊行李限制)to curb (遏止) parallel
traders.
The new maximum limit of 23 kilograms - down
from 33kg - not only affected traders but caused bona fide (真實的) delivery men and couriers as well as
traveling families to lose their tempers.
In Fo Tan, where factories and depots (車房) are
concentrated (集中的), a worker delivering computer parts to Yuen
Long and Tuen Mun was stopped at the station entrance as her package weighed
27kg.
The worker said she has been doing similar
deliveries almost every day and the new luggage restriction (限制規定) is creating problems for her and other
delivery workers.
"I'm not a parallel trader so why do
they do this to me?" she asked.
Despite a heated exchange with an MTR staff
member, she had no choice but to leave the station and take a taxi.
Shortly after (不久), a document courier was barred (被堵塞的) from entering after his bags weighed 26kg. He
said: "My income will drop since the more documents I deliver, the more I
can earn."
Another woman traveling to Shanwei to stay
with her family for the holiday was also stopped after her luggage - clothes,
candies, shampoo and chocolates - was 2kg above the limit.
Similar scenes were reported in the five
other stations equipped with scales on the East Rail Line.
But an MTR Corp spokeswoman said the stations
operated smoothly on the first day of the new luggage restrictions.
"Passengers
were cooperative (樂意合作的) and the company has not received any
complaint so far(到目前為止),"
she said.
The measure will be implemented on a trial basis (試驗階段) for three months and the company will review the situation from time to
time, the spokeswoman added.
Candy Chan
It is not only inconvenient but also bothersome for those delivery workers and couriers who were stopped at the MTR station entrance as their luggage over than 23kg.
回覆刪除They claimed that they are not parallel traders but have to carry their luggage which is often over than 23 kg to their destinations by the MTR. It may be more convenient and cheaper than other public conveyances for them to take the MTR.
If I were them, I would get angry the same about this measure of tackling to the cross-border traders that I am innocent and no need to involve in this matter.
I think the authorities might not expect that this policy affects other bona fide delivery men and couriers.
Margaret Tang