PUBLIC UTILITIES
The five Yaumati ferry services working inside the harbour now operate no less than 1,046 sailings daily and the vessels travel over 780,000 miles per annum. The fares are 20 cents for first class and 10 cents for third class and are the cheapest in the world. The lowest rate is .545 of a penny per mile.
The passenger traffic on the ferry services to the outlying islands, namely the important fishing centres at Cheung Chau and Tai O, has shown a considerable increase as many people are now visiting these fishing centres as well as Silvermine Bay, Ping Chau Island, Tung Chung and Castle Peak. There are 11 sailings daily to Cheung Chau, 4 to Silvermine Bay, 4 to Ping Chau and 2 to Castle Peak, Tung Chung and Tai O.
During the summer season it became necessary to run extra ferries to Silvermine Bay which has become one of the most popular bathing beaches in the Colony. It is also the centre for a number of walks to such places as Pui O, the beaches on the southern side of Lantao Island, the summer rest camp on Lantao Ridge (2,500 ft.), Pak Mong and Tung Chung on the northern side of the Island overlooking Castle Peak, and the new Trappist monastry to the north east, which is about an hour's walk from Silvermine Bay. Visitors to the monastry at Ngong Ping, which is 1,600 feet above sea level, are now able to visit the area from either Tung Chung or Tai O.
The new pier at Tai O has considerably improved the landing facilities and it is now no longer necessary to land passengers and cargo by sampan. A modern roadway, 20 feet wide, has also been constructed to connect the pier with the village of Tai O.
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