TRANSPORT
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Peak residents. In 1985, the service carried 6 300 passengers a day, an increase of 13 per cent compared with 1984.
Aerial Ropeways
An aerial ropeway operating at Ocean Park carries visitors between the park's lowland and headland sites. There are 252 cars on the system with a total carrying capacity of 1 512 persons. In 1985, the system carried an average of 3 000 passengers a day.
Ferries
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Ferry services in Hong Kong are mainly provided by two principal companies Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited (HYF) and the Star Ferry Company Limited. The Star Ferry has a fleet of 10 vessels plying across the harbour between Edinburgh Place on Hong Kong Island and Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom in Kowloon. During the year, the company carried 43 million passengers on its two routes. HYF operates a varied fleet of vessels on 16 cross-harbour services (three of which carry vehicles), 10 outlying district services and two excursion services. The company has a fleet of 88 vessels, some of which are air-conditioned, comprising double and triple-deck ferries and high-speed hovercraft. Fares on HYF vehicular services were increased on January 1. The company also introduced concessionary fares for the handicapped on 12 cross-harbour services on October 1. During the year, HYF carried 84 million passengers and 4.5 million vehicles.
As a result of the MTR Island Line opening, HYF passenger ferry services operating in the central and eastern harbour experienced a drop in patronage of 10 per cent compared with 1984. The number of vehicles using vehicular ferry services during the year was one_per cent higher than that recorded in 1984. The North Point to Kwun Tong service was withdrawn, the vessels on this route being redeployed to strengthen the other two vehicular ferry services in the eastern harbour. To cope with projected additional demand, facilities at the Sai Wan Ho Vehicular Pier were expanded by the construction of double ramps.
In addition to the services operated by the two major ferry companies, 11 minor ferry services are provided to isolated communities by six operators. Supplementary services known as 'kaitos' are also available, mostly in the New Territories, to cater for local rural demand. Both types of services are controlled by licences issued by the Transport Department under the Ferry Services Ordinance. In Victoria Harbour, fleets of motor boats known as 'walla-wallas' are available for hire at public piers.
Taxis
Hong Kong is served by three types of taxis: Hong Kong and Kowloon taxis which may operate anywhere within Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories (but primarily serve the urban areas); New Territories taxis which operate only in permitted areas in the New Territories; and Lantau taxis which operate only on Lantau Island. In response to the request of the New Territories taxis operators, consideration was being given to further extend the New Territories taxi operation boundaries to allow New Territories taxis to take passengers to hospitals and interchange points on the periphery of urban areas.
In mid-1985, 13 699 Hong Kong and Kowloon taxis were registered. New licences continued to be tendered at the rate of 200 per year up to a limit of 14 000. The number of New Territories taxis was fixed at 2 638 in July 1984. The limit for Lantau taxis was 40; in mid-1985, 34 Lantau taxis were registered.