TRANSPORT
west of longitude 120°E, excluding the immediate coastal waters of neighbouring
states.
The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre is manned continuously. It monitors all emergency communications channels and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System.
All search-and-rescue missions are activated and run by professionally-trained staff. Fully-equipped vessels and aircraft are available, and assistance can be obtained from nearby ships and other rescue co-ordination centres in the region.
During 1995 the centre responded to 82 incident calls, and co-ordinated 54 actions concerning ship emergencies including 28 medical evacuations.
Port State Control
Many marine casualties and pollution cases can be attributed to the use of substandard ships. This situation could be improved if each port state stepped up inspections of incoming vessels, but this would place a considerable strain on their resources. Also, ship operators would acquire a significant burden if their vessels were subject to port state control at all the ports at which they call. Accordingly, varioūs Asia-Pacific countries have agreed to share the workload and the information on inspected vessels. They have concluded an Asia-Pacific Regional Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control. Hong Kong supports this initiative and, in Beijing in April 1994, signed the memorandum accepting regional co-operation on port state control.
During 1995, 160 ocean-going ships visiting Hong Kong were inspected to check compliance with international safety and environmental protection conventions. This represented about three per cent of the ships visiting Hong Kong. About 95 per cent had deficiencies which had to be made good before they could proceed.
Services in the Port
Container Handling
About 66 per cent (or 8.3 million TEUS) of the 12.5 million containers loaded and discharged in 1995 were handled at the Kwai Chung Container Port. Ships at mid- stream mooring buoys and anchorages handled 23 per cent (or 2.9 million TEUs). This represented a growth rate of 14 per cent at container terminals and four per cent at mid-stream facilities, compared with 1994. The eight container terminals at Kwai Chung are privately-owned and operated. They have a total of 19 berths for ocean- going vessels.
International Ferry Services
More international passengers are using the two ferry terminals managed by the Marine Department. In 1995, 7.2 million passengers used the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, and 13.5 million used the Macau Ferry Terminal in Central. The total was a 0.4 per cent increase over 1994. Most of these passengers travelled on the world's largest fleet of modern, high-speed passenger ferries, comprising jetfoils and catamarans operating from Hong Kong to Macau and various Chinese ports.
The department has enhanced the safety of high-speed passenger ferries by intro- ducing statutory requirements for operators to predict and minimise the effects of shipboard system failures and to improve crew training.
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