GUANGZHOU - The Guangdong provincial capital plans to install remote observation systems or "black boxes" in more than 2,000 lifts by the end of the year.
They will be fitted in the lifts at all public venues in the southern metropolis in the next few years, Wu said.
More than 1,000 black boxes have already been installed in the city, largely at the Asian Games Village and related facilities, including major competition and training venues, hotels, shopping centers, hospitals and nearby housing estates, Wu said.
The black boxes are connected to the maintenance offices in the buildings where the lifts operate, as well as to local administrations of quality and technology supervision.
Along with being able to supervise the lifts and record accidents in real time, the system is capable of automatically issuing alerts when problems arise and assisting passengers in the event of an accident.
The price of each unit is 2,000 yuan ($301) to 3,000 yuan, a cost that will be borne by the government, according to Wu.
Guangzhou currently has 72,364 lifts in operation, he said, though he refused to be drawn on how many lift-related accidents have occurred to date in this prosperous city.
Pledging to improve management of the city, Wu said his administration would ensure that the system is maintained with regular inspections and drills, when required, to minimize accidents.
Many local residents have welcomed the black boxes being installed in lifts.
Cheng Wangying, a white-collar worker in the city, said they were assuring to those who have to use lifts on a daily basis.
"Sometimes it is terrible when a lift breaks down," she said.
"I have to use lifts every day," said Cheng, whose office is located on the 20th floor of a skyscraper in Guangzhou's Tianhe district, while her home is on the 18th floor of a housing estate in the city's Panyu district.
China Daily
(China Daily 11/19/2010 page4)
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