The decision was announced in a press release on Friday afternoon and applies from 9.00 a.m. on Monday morning.
This means that the operator MTR cannot run if the trains are only manned by train drivers. It is considered to put "severe psychological pressure" on train drivers and means in practical terms that train drivers cannot drive alone without the train attendants on board. The employer MTR maintains that the decision to remove the train attendant was taken with safety in focus and the risks have been carefully investigated.