Society

Some ditching subway after wreck in Shanghai

By Gao Changxin (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-24 07:44

SHANGHAI: The subway snag on Tuesday has cast doubt on some locals who say they are concerned about their safety on one of the world's biggest metro systems.

According to a street poll by China Daily yesterday, more than one third of 30 pedestrians interviewed say they don't feel safe on the subway while some said they may take the metro less frequently after Tuesday's two-train collision.

The wreck was caused by a power failure and left scores of commuters trapped underground and created delays for a million riders.

"I think the accident showed that there are loopholes in the management of the subway," said Yin Chunzhu, a supermarket shop assistant. "I will commute less by subway in the future."

"It is not the first time this year that the subway system has broken down," said Liu Ran, a subway commuter. "There must be something wrong with it and I will take it as less if I can in the near future."

All foreigners who took the survey did not take the accident seriously.

"Buses could have accidents too and I think it's normal that there are some accidents," said French Rochot Justine. "I think the reason people see it as such a big problem is the media hype. The risk of riding the subway is much lower than that of other means of transportation."

"I don't think I will stop taking the subway just because of that accident," said his friend Goldman Oury. "The subway is time-saving, environmentally friendly and the actual chance of accident is pretty low."

Local transportation authorities said yesterday that a special panel has been launched to look into the cause of the accident, adding they were currently analyzing data recorded on the two colliding trains.

"We will also do some adjustments to the scheduling and the trains' dispatch system to avoid such accidents in the future," said Sun Jianming, head of Shanghai Municipal Transport and Port Authority, to a press conference yesterday.

Jia Peng, Beijing Subway spokesperson, also said yesterday that the company is waiting for results of the official investigation of the incident in Shanghai and will decide what precautions to take in the capital's subway management.

"We have good emergency plan and regular maintenance for the capital's subway. Different cities have different management measures," Jia said.

Some passengers trapped underground on Tuesday in Shanghai said they would ask for compensation.

"According to the civil law in China, if the passengers want to claim compensation, they have to prove certain damage were made to them first, either physically or mentally, and proof must be made to show that the damage is caused by the metro operator," said Ding Xiaomin, a lawyer specializing in consumer law with Shanghai Brilliance Law Firm.

"There is not a particular law or regulation in China for subway accident compensation, so I think in this case negotiation is a better way to solve the problem instead of bringing a lawsuit."

"I think the accident had triggered an early alarm on the safety of the Shanghai metro, which has witnessed skyrocketing expansion over the past few years," said Professor Yang Weida, director of Tongji University's Institute of Railway and Urban Rail Transit.

"The fast expansion should not be blamed because there is a strong need from local passengers. However, a more scientific management and checkup beforehand would be a crucial task for metro operators," he said.

Yang added that there should be a sound contingency plan in times of emergency and the plan should call for coordination among different sectors in society.

"Mobile phone operators should send messages to commuters soon after an accident to ease the public's worry and avoid traffic chaos," he said as an example.

Wang Qian contributed to the story