ID :
198644
Tue, 08/02/2011 - 09:24
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/198644
The shortlink copeid
Six of ten Chinese feel uneasy about high-speed rail
HONG KONG, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- Nearly six out of ten Chinese people are concerned about the safety of the country's high-speed railway, a poll said Tuesday, indicating public distrust over Beijing's push for high-speed rail technology.
According to the survey on 200 Chinese people, 58 percent of the respondents expressed anxiety over the high-speed railway system, while 29 percent said they were not worried. The rest said they didn't care.
Credit Suisse took the poll on the people aged 18 to 65 from 61 cities in 29 provinces, about a week before a high-speed train rammed into a stalled train in China's eastern Zhejiang province on July 23, leaving at least 40 people dead and 192 others injured.
The crash came at a time when China is aspiring to become a major exporter of high-speed rail technology, and is pouring hundreds of billions of yuan into expanding its high-speed rail network.
On June 30, the country launched a 1,318-kilometer-long Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, which has already experienced a number of delays caused by electrical breakdowns and power failures.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who visited the train crash scene last Thursday, promised an open and transparent investigation, and emphasized safety must be the priority when developing railways.
"Since the accident, questions have been raised over the cause and handling of the incident. Public opinion must be listened to. We must give responsible answers to all the questions raised," the premier said.
"There is a principle. We have to program scientifically, arrange rationally and develop in an orderly way. Faster is not always better. We should combine speed with quality, efficiency and safety, and always put safety first."
According to the survey on 200 Chinese people, 58 percent of the respondents expressed anxiety over the high-speed railway system, while 29 percent said they were not worried. The rest said they didn't care.
Credit Suisse took the poll on the people aged 18 to 65 from 61 cities in 29 provinces, about a week before a high-speed train rammed into a stalled train in China's eastern Zhejiang province on July 23, leaving at least 40 people dead and 192 others injured.
The crash came at a time when China is aspiring to become a major exporter of high-speed rail technology, and is pouring hundreds of billions of yuan into expanding its high-speed rail network.
On June 30, the country launched a 1,318-kilometer-long Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, which has already experienced a number of delays caused by electrical breakdowns and power failures.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who visited the train crash scene last Thursday, promised an open and transparent investigation, and emphasized safety must be the priority when developing railways.
"Since the accident, questions have been raised over the cause and handling of the incident. Public opinion must be listened to. We must give responsible answers to all the questions raised," the premier said.
"There is a principle. We have to program scientifically, arrange rationally and develop in an orderly way. Faster is not always better. We should combine speed with quality, efficiency and safety, and always put safety first."
