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■獅隧火警後一度實施單管雙程行車，令上班時間交通繁忙。 資料圖片
獅子山隧道8日凌晨因地底水管維修工程發生大火，導致清晨上班繁忙時段交通幾乎癱瘓。本港隧道眾多，發揮重要的交通疏導作用。獅隧大火提醒人們必須高度重視隧道的防火安全，及時消除防火的隱患，在進行維護時要更加小心謹慎，注意安全操作。有關方面須對事故作全面檢討，總結經驗教訓，供其他隧道管理者參考。同時，當局應考慮鼓勵市民多用其他隧道及加快沙中線建設，減輕獅隧的交通壓力，為市民帶來更大交通便利。
由於沙田、大圍等市鎮公私營屋邨密集，獅子山隧道行車流量早已飽和。雖然城門隧道、大老山隧道、青沙公路尖山隧道及沙田嶺隧道先後通車，但由於連接地點方便、收費廉宜，目前獅隧仍是連接新界與九龍最繁忙的交通要道。一旦獅隧發生事故導致塞車，沙田、大圍一帶往返港九市區的交通就會陷入癱瘓，給市民造成極大不便。為減輕對獅隧的依賴，避免頻頻出現交通堵塞，當局應積極考慮以調整收費等方法分流車輛，鼓勵市民使用其他隧道。另外，集體運輸是最大量、最快捷的客運交通途徑，當局應加快港鐵沙中線建設，既造福市民，亦可有效解決獅隧超負荷運作的問題。
Fire precaution and Safety in Lion Rock Tunnel should be reviewed
On 8 March, a fire which broke out inside the Lion Rock Tunnel near dawn due to pipeline repair works had almost paralyzed the traffic during rush hours in the morning. In Hong Kong there are a number of tunnels which serve the important purpose of absorbing the traffic flow. The fire in the Lion Rock Tunnel is a reminder about the great emphasis that must be placed on fire precautions inside tunnels. Fire hazards inside tunnels must be eliminated promptly; repair works have to be carried out with special care and the safety of operation should be given particular attention. The relevant authorities must review the incident comprehensively and sum up the experience to make it a lesson for other tunnel operators. At the same time, the authorities should consider encouraging people to make more use of other tunnels, and should also speed up the construction of the Shatin to Central Link in order to divert some of the heavy traffic from the Lion Rock Tunnel and to bring more convenient transportation to the people.
As sub-urban towns like Shatin and Tai Wai are packed with public and private housing estates, the flow of traffic through the Lion Rock Tunnel has already reached a saturation point. Despite the fact that the Shing Mun Tunnel, Tate's Cairn Tunnel, Eagle's Nest Tunnel of the Tsing Sha Highway and the Sha Tin Heights Tunnel have been put into service one after another, the Lion Rock Tunnel remains the busiest main route linking the New Territories and Kowloon because of the convenient points of connection and its relatively low toll charges. In case a traffic jam occurs as a result of an accident in the Lion Rock Tunnel, transportation in the areas around Shatin and Tai Wai to and from urban areas of Kowloon will be paralyzed, causing much inconvenience to the people. To reduce reliance on the Lion Rock Tunnel and to avoid frequent traffic jams, the authorities should actively consider different ways including toll adjustment to divert vehicle traffic and to encourage people to make use of other tunnels. In addition, the authorities should speed up the construction of the Shatin to Central Link as mass transit carries the largest quantity of passengers and is the fastest mode of transport. The rail link will benefit the general public as well as effectively alleviate the problem of overloading the Lion Rock Tunnel. ■Translation by 東明 tungming23@gmail.com
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