PUBLIC UTILITIES AND PUBLIC WORKS
239
Appliances and gas equipment can be obtained from or through the Company by purchase, hire purchase, or on a simple rental basis. Technical advice on the commercial and industrial uses of gas is freely available.
Total quantity of gas sold in 1959 was 734,794,000 cubic feet compared with 712,439,500 cubic feet in 1958. The number of consumers rose from 11,352 to 12,495.
Charges (per meter) are:
On first 10,000 cu. ft. $13.00 per 1,000 cu. ft. On next 15,000 cu. ft. $12.50 per 1,000 cu. ft. On next 25,000 cu. ft. $12.00 per 1,000 cu. ft. Over 50,000 cu. ft. $11.50 per 1,000 cu. ft.
Tramways. An electric tramway service is operated by Hongkong Tramways Ltd. on Hong Kong Island. The track, the gauge of which is 34 feet, is about 19 miles in length when calculated on a single track basis. It extends from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan with a branch line encircling the Race Course in Happy Valley. All routes pass through the City of Victoria. The tramcars are of the four-wheeled, double-deck, single-staircase type and are intended for single-ended working, the termini having turning circles. The operating voltage is 500 volts direct current.
The average daily service of cars run in 1959 was 138. This provided a car every two minutes in each direction on all routes. Through the city area, which is in the centre of the system, the minimum service frequency was a car every 35 seconds in each direction. The number of passengers carried during the year was over 172.5 million while the total mileage run was slightly under 7.5 million.
Fares are charged at a flat rate for any distance over any route (the maximum route length is 63 miles) of 20 cents (3d.) 1st class, and 10 cents (14d.) 3rd class. The Company also issues monthly tickets, and concession fares are given to children, students and Services personnel.
The Peak Tramway, operated by the Peak Tramways Co., Ltd., was opened for traffic in May 1888, and was then known as the Hong Kong High Level Tramway. With a lower terminus situated at the lower portion of Garden Road and a Peak terminus at Victoria Gap, this means of transport has provided, almost