Since it was built in the late 1970s, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) has always been a source of pride for Hong Kong people. I rode the system for the first time in 1982 on a visit to Hong Kong from Singapore where I was then working. Walking through the cavernous Central station, lined with wine-colored paneling, made me feel immensely proud of my home town.
Indeed, Mass Transit Railway Corp, which has the monopoly to build and operate the railway system in Hong Kong, is much more than just a business concern. It is an institution, like the civil service, the judiciary and HSBC – all of which form a bedrock of confidence in the city. (I thought about including the well-loved Peninsula Hotel in the list. But that was too much of a personal preference.)
For that reason, I believe that many Hong Kong people, like me, feel badly let down by the frequent disruptions to our MTR service during the past several months