MTR's Record System Is Antiquated, Inquiry Told

The company responsible for the scandal-hit Hung Hom MTR expansion project says the record-keeping used by the railway company for work inspections is "antiquated" and this paperwork should have already been replaced by instant messages or emails.

The comment came at a government-ordered inquiry looking into the bodged construction at the station and why thousands of important documents for the project are missing.

The commission's chairman, Michael Hartmann, said he was concerned that concrete had been poured over reinforcement steel bars even though documents stating the bars were properly fitted had not been handed in.

But Jonathan Kitching, the projects director of the main contractor, Leighton, said in this day and age such paperwork shouldn't even be used.

He said things would be a lot more efficient if workers could confirm the different stages of work via WhatsApp or email, and they could send pictures and messages for the next phase of construction to proceed.

Kitching told the inquiry that using the old-fashioned documents can leave workers sitting around for a week waiting to be given the go-ahead for the next stage of the project.

During his testimony, he also defended the company engineer responsible for inspections at the Hung Hom Station site, Henry Lai.

Asked whether he had questioned Lai about installation problems with the reinforcement bars, the projects director said the engineer was an extremely junior colleague and he may not have known exactly how the bars should have been fitted.

Kitching said more experienced staff from a sub-contractor probably had a better idea of what should be done with the bars and they were unlikely to install them incorrectly.

The hearing at the former Tsuen Wan Law Courts Building was set to continue.