Safety the priority as urban rail transit systems grow

The State Council released a guideline on Friday to guarantee the safe operation of urban rail transit systems. Over the past few years, the rapidly growing railways and expansion of networks has imposed pressure on operational safety, the guideline said. Targeting safe operation, relevant departments are required to improve the systems, mechanisms, laws and regulations governing the urban rail transit network. Management should be improved to enhance technological support and service quality. Through these steps, the country should provide the public with safe, reliable, convenient, comfortable and affordable subway services. An integrated management system should also be established. Legislation for urban rail transit systems should be accelerated while laws and regulations should be amended punctually in accordance with new developments. An overall development plan should be drafted. The development of urban rail transit systems should be coordinated in line with local economic and social development. A dual-prevention mechanism with safety risk control and concealed danger investigations to uncover potential problems should be established. A third-party assessment system should also be established to help improve operational safety. Rail transit operators should enhance daily security inspections, and new technologies and products should be adopted to conduct security checks in a smart and efficient way. A new security check model focusing on passenger flows should be progressively introduced. Local governments should embrace local urban rail transit systems in the emergency management system. They should also provide more financial support and subsidies to improve operational safety and service quality of their subways.