The rehabilitation and motorization of their fleet of 29 vessels is now almost completed. Five steel double-ended and two single-ended ferry vessels were reconstructed and motorized during the year and orders have been placed with the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd. for the construction of two new double ended steel ferry vessels-the completion of which is expected in June 1950.
The vehicular ferry service which is now operated on a 12 minute service between 6.20 a.m. and 11.00 p.m. daily has been extended up to midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. With the new vessels in service about the middle of 1950 the service will definitely be able to handle all Vehicle Traffic without any difficulty or delay.
At noon on the 12th November, 1949, the long expected ferry service between the Wanchai District and Kowloon came into operation on a 12 minute schedule. It was soon- found necessary to increase the service to 10 minutes. 500,000 passengers were carried on the Service during the first month's operation. The traffic is steadily increasing and with the expected improvement in the bus service at the Jordan Road Ferry Terminus the new ferry service will soon become one of the major cross harbour services. The new service has been instrumental in reducing the traffic conges- tion on the trams and buses between the Central and Wanchai Districts on the island and has played a prominent part in maintaining communication between the Wanchai and Central Districts even although it is necessary to cross the harbour twice and to transfer ferries at Jordan Road. The volume of traffic to the outlying districts showed an all round increase during the year. There are no less than nine sailings to Cheung Chau Island on Sundays and holidays and seven during week days. Excursions to the beautiful bathing beaches on the islands, to the summer rest camp on the Lantau plateau (which is over 2,200 feet above sea level) and to the famous monastery at Ngong Ping (1,600 feet above sea level) have become increasingly popular.
Broadcasting
Radio Hong Kong is a sub-department under the control of the Postmaster General. Transmissions are made from two stations, ZBW (845 k/cs.) which is an English language station and ZEK (640 k/cs.) from which broadcasts are made in Chinese. Short-wave transmissions are also made from ZBW on a frequency of 9.525 megacycles. Throughout 1949 the hours of transmission on weekdays remained constant in both the English and Chinese service-12.15 p.m. to 2.00 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. On Sundays the English section opened at 10.00 a.m. for a religious service,
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