passenger journeys on public transport,
were made on the Mass
Transit Railway, compared with 11% in the same period of
1981. The increase was partly attributable to the opening of
the Tsuen Wan Extension of MTR in May.
Comparing the first
half of 1982 with the first half of 1981, the number of
passenger journeys on buses of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company showed no increase while journeys on those of the China Motor
Bus Company increased by 8%. Reflecting the growing acceptance of the Mass Transit Railway as an alternative means of transport, the number of passenger journeys on ferries of
the Star Ferry Company decreased by 12% and on those of the
Hong Kong & Yaumati Ferry Company by 8%. The number of passenger journeys on the Kowloon Canton Railway increased by
3%. For private transport, the number of private cars registered continued to increase rapidly. By the end of June
1982, when the effect of the recent increases in the duty on
light oils including petrol, in the first registration tax and
in the annual licence fee for private vehicles had not yet
been reflected in the figures, 217 000 private cars were registered, 8% more than in the same period a year ago.
5.19
As for air transport, 6% more passengers travelled in
the first half of 1982 than in the first half of 1981. The
number of aircraft movements increased by 2%, due to an
increasing number of flights to China using narrow-bodied aircraft. Outward movements of cargo by weight by sea fell by 1% and by air increased by 3%. The corresponding growth rates of inward movement of cargo by sea and by air were 4% and 9%
respectively.
5.20
At 1 216 000, the number of tourists coming to Hong
Kong in the first half of 1982 was 4% more than in the first
half of 1981. The decrease of 5% in the number of tourists
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