Ombudsman should get involved in debate
KMB continues to hope (South China Morning Post, November 21) that because passengers who do not object to the multi-media on-board (MMOB) system on buses are in the majority, this will silence the significant minority who consider the intrusive commercial broadcasts an infringement of personal freedoms.
However, all the signs are that the issue is not going to fade into obscurity.
KMB's poll was among the general public who 'had experienced MMOB'. These included those who might have just watched bus TV on an occasional basis. Yet, the group of passengers who are most affected by MMOB consists of those who travel daily to and from work by public transport for 30 minutes or more each way. For commuters who loathe the broadcasts, this amounts to five to six hours of mental torture a week.
Some passengers do not even possess a television set at home, precisely because they do not welcome mass infotainment, least of all TV commercials. Why should they be forced to listen to and watch TV when they travel on public transport? They pay for the bus and minibus journey, not to enter an entertainment arcade.
The public transport companies and the Government might want to label or even stigmatise these citizens as social recluses, but citizens have every right to refuse or to choose when and where to receive audio and visual infotainment.
The Transport Department has failed to regulate proper public transport services, has not taken effective action to address passengers' complaints, and has assisted public transport companies in coercing captive commuters to listen to and watch commercial broadcasts.
CATHERINE NG
Citizens Party
