Dump MTR's 'farce Test' At Hung Hom, Say Lawmakers

Lawmakers have called on the MTR to immediately ditch the testing method being using at the scandal-hit Hung Hom station, after it was revealed that a test carried out by the police contradicted results so far published by the authorities.

On Tuesday, an inquiry looking into the construction scandal heard that police had examined four reinforcement bars that were said to be problematic, but it turned out that actually only one was faulty.

The police had unscrewed the bars manually to measure the embedded length instead of using ultrasound used by the MTR and came to completely different results. The tests are to determine if the main contractor had cut corners and endangered the safety of the structure as alleged by a subcontractor.

Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien, who used to head the KCRC, called for an immediate end to the test.

Tien said there is a substantial difference in the police and MTR findings. "They should dump that stupid machine now," he said. "It is a farce."

He called for the steel to be physically checked to find out the truth.

Civic Party legislator Tanya Chan also urged the government to halt the ongoing inspection.

She said after 40 days of conducting these tests, the people are being told that the method used is not reliable.

"That is absurd and totally unacceptable and irresponsible," Chan said.

The Transport Secretary, Frank Chan, is to meet the media later in the day to talk about the issue.