166
COMMUNICATIONS
Hong Kong is one of the world's most popular tourist attractions and the Port of Victoria has a modern passenger terminal capable of handling the largest passenger ships engaged in cruising or scheduled voyages. Opened in 1966, it contains more than 100 shops situated on two floors, together with restaurants, night clubs, car parks, exhibition areas and other tourist facilities such as booking and travel services. The ground floor comprises 7 acres of wharf and transit shed space with a further 190,000 square feet of apron space on the marine deck.
In addition, berths at private wharves alongside and at government buoys, offer cargo handling facilities comparable with the most modern ports. This coupled with a labour force free of industrial disputes results in high cargo handling rates.
The Director of Marine controls the waters and ports of the Colony and under his guidance the Marine Department effects the measure of supervision so necessary in an area in which upwards of 20,000 small craft operate in addition to the 6,816 ocean-going ships which visited the port during 1969. This coupled with a total of 11,236,066 million tons of overseas cargo and 1,371,015 million tons of internal cargo handled during the year, indicates the thriv- ing complexity of Hong Kong. (Further details are shown at Appendix XXXVIII).
To cope with the vast numbers of steamers, ferries, junks, lighters and sampans, the port has a comprehensive modern system of navigational aids and communications, the latest of which is the Port Operations Service based on the International Maritime VHF agreement of the Hague Conference (1957), and introduced during June of this year. A pilotage service is available, and although not compulsory, is recommended on account of traffic density and ever changing harbour construction programmes.
Quarantine and Immigration facilities are available on a 24-hour basis at the Eastern anchorage and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Western anchorage. Ships are cleared on arrival and the larger passenger vessels are processed en route to the berth. Medical clearance may be obtained by radio thus reducing delays, particularly for oil tankers.
The harbour is patrolled by Marine Department launches for the effective control of fairways, typhoon shelters and cargo areas.