加快構建城市軌道交通的新安全格局

陳燕申

(中國城市規劃設計研究院研究員)

2023年4月15日是我國第八個“全民國家安全教育日”。這一天,由上海市委國安辦指導,上海市國家安全局聯合上海申通地鐵集團,在上海地鐵1號線打造推出了“國安號”主題列車。當天上午10點50分,在上海地鐵1號線人民廣場站,“國安號”主題列車開始了為期30天的旅程。主題列車車身上有金色的“國安號”字樣;外車身的“萬里江山”“鋼鐵長城”“白鴿祥云”等圖案,象征著國家長治久安、人民安居樂業;車頂貫通90多米的“國泰民安圖”描繪了平安中國、和諧社會的美好畫卷,反映了新時代統籌發展和安全取得的突出成就。

中國式現代化是人口規模巨大的現代化。中國人口規模長期位居世界首位,14億多人口整體邁進現代化社會,規模超過現有發達國家人口的總和,是人類發展史上前所未有的壯舉。

2022年中國的城市化率已達65.2%,我國特大城市、超大城市已達21座。與此相關,目前中國至少有5座大城市的軌道交通運營里程和客運量穩居世界前列,超過了過去人們所向往的紐約地鐵和莫斯科地鐵。毫無疑問,“全球最安全” 的城市軌道交通是中國交通強國建設的當然目標之一。

城市軌道交通列車運行在相對狹窄的空間里,速度快、運量大,人員密集,一旦發生事故,疏散、救援十分困難,極易造成生命財產的巨大損失,并產生重大的社會負面影響。因此,城市軌道交通安全已成為我國政府監管的重點之一和安全研究的重點之一,應謹記唯有遵循法治、依靠科技進步才是通向安全的根本途徑。

國際上,美國、英國、歐盟成員國等發達國家,在城市交通建設和管理中已經用技術法規、技術規范和標準建立了法制化的安全監管體系。例如:美國發布了《城市軌道交通系統州安全監管——最終規章》;歐盟通過《鐵路安全指令》,在成員國建立起統一的軌道安全監管體制;英國發布了《鐵路和其他軌道交通系統安全條例2006》。由于我國目前尚無專門的城市軌道交通安全法規,因此發達國家有關軌道交通的安全法規,有以下幾個方面可供借鑒和思考:

1) 城市軌道交通安全專門立法。中國僅發布一個全文強制性國家標準《城市軌道交通工程項目規范》(GB 55033—2022)和應時發布的政策性文件。其中顯而易見的缺少法制要素,如安全主體、安全責任、監管機構、操作規范,特別是沒有法規的必備要素——罰則。在一個充滿技術復雜要素的行業,強調“強化防范措施”、落實責任時,應充分體現城市軌道交通的技術安全特性,并為高效執法提供充分的依據。

2) 建立專門的監管機構。美歐英所發布的法規都建立或明確了監管機構。監管機構負責落實軌道交通運營企業履行安全法規,審查運營企業的安全制度是否完善,并定期對其進行評估,督促軌道交通企業不斷改進安全管理。我國企業只強調“管生產必管安全”,含糊不清的“管”模糊了監管機構和運營企業之間的區別。

3) 建立安全信息公開制度。美歐英等國立法規定:軌道交通安全信息公開。建立公布安全信息和統計數據是減少和調整媒體關切、緩和大眾焦慮心態的有效途徑,也是保障公眾知情權的具體體現。在當今信息時代,安全信息公開,可為安全科學技術提供豐富資源和廣闊研究前景。美歐英以信息為基礎,基于安全理論和方法,依法建立安全指標、安全目標和安全方法,有效地提高了城市軌道交通的安全水平。中國城市軌道交通至今還沒有要求運營企業公開安全信息。無人知曉實際的安全狀態,安全研究自然處于無源之水、無本之木的較低水平。中國建立城市軌道交通安全信息公開制度,是時代的要求。

為堅持人民至上、生命至上的行為準則,為遵循依法治國方略,為實現城市軌道交通長治久安、保障每日數以億計乘客的出行安全,為建設交通強國,加快構建城市軌道交通的新安全格局已刻不容緩,因為安全是高質量發展的基礎;而新發展格局要由新安全格局來提供保障。

Commentary

AcceleratingtheEstablishmentofNewUrbanRailTransitSafetyDeploymentCHENYanshen

(Researcher of China Academy of Urban Planning and Design)

April 15, 2023 marked the eighth ′National Security Education Day′ in China. On this day, guided by Shanghai Municipal Committee′s Office for National Security and in collaboration with the Shanghai National Security Bureau, Shanghai Shentong Metro Group launched the ′Guoan Hao′ (national security-themed) Train on Shanghai Metro Line 1. At 10:50 a.m. that day, the ′Guoan Hao′ Train embarked on a 30-day journey from People′s Square Station on Shanghai Metro Line 1. The train′s exterior features the golden characters ′國安號′ (Guoan Hao: National Security); graphics such as ′Vast Mountains and Rivers′, ′Great Wall of Steel′, and ′Peaceful Dove and Auspicious Clouds′ symbolize the nation′s enduring stability and the people′s harmonious living; the roof, spanning over 90 meters, depicts the ′Nationwide Harmonious Lives of the People′, illustrating a peaceful China and a prosperous society, showcasing the remarkable achievements in coordinated development and safety made in the new era.

China′s approach to modernization is uniquely characterized by its immense population. With a long-standing position as the world′s most populous nation, China, with over 1.4 billion people, has collectively transitioned into a modern society. This population scale exceeds the combined total of the existing developed countries, constituting an unprecedented accomplishment in the history of human development. By 2022, China′s urbanization rate had reached 65.2%, with the country boasting 21 super-sized and mega cities. In connection to this, China currently holds a prominent position on the global stage with at least five major cities featuring metro systems that rank among the world′s tops in terms of operation mileage and passenger volume. This surpasses the renown of past benchmarks such as the New York City Subway and the Moscow Metro. Without a doubt, attaining the title of the "world′s safest" urban rail transit system is among the paramount goals of China′s ambitions to be a transportation power.

Urban rail transit trains operate within relatively confined spaces, with high speeds, large passenger volumes, and dense populations. In case of accidents, evacuation and rescue efforts become challenging due to these factors, leading to potential substantial loss of life and property, as well as significant negative societal impacts. Therefore, urban rail transit safety has become a key focus of government regulation and safety research in our country. It should be noted that adhering to the rule of law and relying on technological progress are fundamental pathways to ensuring safety.

Internationally, developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union member states have established legal safety regulatory systems in urban transportation construction and management through technological regulations, specifications, and standards. For instance, the United States has issued the ′State Safety Oversight of Rail Transit Systems-Final Rule′, while the European Union has established a unified rail safety regulatory system among its member states through the ′Railway Safety Directive′. The United Kingdom has enacted the ′Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006′. As China currently lacks specific urban rail transit safety regulations, there are several aspects that can be referenced and considered from the safety regulations of developed countries in the field of rail transit:

1)Special Legislation for Urban Rail Transit Safety. China has only issued a mandatory national standard ′Project Code for Engineering of Urban Rail Transit′ (GB 55033—2022) and policy documents timely released. Noticeably absent are legal elements such as safety entities, safety responsibilities, regulatory bodies, operational norms, and notably, the essential component of regulations-penalties. In an industry filled with intricate technical aspects, when emphasizing ′strengthening preventive measures′ and allocating responsibilities, the unique technical safety characteristics of urban rail transit should be adequately reflected, and a solid basis should be provided for efficient law enforcement.

2)Establishing a Dedicated Regulatory Body. Regulations issued by the US, Europe, and the UK have established or clarified regulatory bodies. Regulatory bodies are responsible for ensuring that rail transit operation enterprises comply with safety regulations, reviewing the adequacy of their safety systems, conducting periodic assessments, and urging continuous improvement in safety management. In China, enterprises only emphasize ′managing production means managing safety′, and the vague term ′management′ blurs the distinction between regulatory bodies and operating enterprises.

3)Establishing a Safety Information Disclosure System. Legislation in countries such as the US, Europe, and the UK mandates the public disclosure of rail transit safety information. Establishing and publishing safety information and statistical data is an effective way to reduce and adjust media concerns, alleviate public anxiety, and ensure the public′s right to be informed. In the current era of information, public disclosure of safety information can provide abundant resources and extensive research prospects for safety science and technology. Based on information, safety theories, and methods, the US, Europe, and the UK have established safety indicators, safety goals, and safety methods in accordance with the law, effectively enhancing the safety level of urban rail transit. Up to now, there hasn′t been a requirement for urban rail transit operation enterprises in China to disclose safety information. With no knowledge of the actual safety status, safety research remains at a relatively low level of productivity. The establishment of a safety information disclosure system for urban rail transit in China is a requirement of the times.

In adherence to the principles of people-oriented and life-oriented conduct, in accordance with the strategy of governing the country by law, and to achieve long-term safety and security in urban rail transit, ensuring the safe travel of millions of passengers daily, and building a strong transportation power, the urgency of accelerating the establishment of a new urban rail transit safety deployment is self-evident, because safety forms the foundation for high-quality development, and the new development pattern must be underpinned by a new safety paradigmatic framework to provide assurance.

(TranslatedbyZHANGLiman)