TRANSPORT
The Star Ferry operated 12 vessels across the harbour and carried 89 000 passengers on its three routes daily during the year. Fares ranged from $1.70 to $2.70. Passengers aged 65 and above can enjoy free travel on all Star Ferry services.
HYF owned 77 vessels and operated 24 ferry routes, including passenger and vehicular services and licensed services. In 1997, the company carried 84 000 passengers and 1300 vehicles daily. Fares ranged from $4.80 to $32. Elderly passengers aged 65 and above can enjoy concessionary fares, set at the same level as children's fares, on all ferry services except the deluxe class.
A further 13 ferry services were operated by eight licensed operators, including the service to Discovery Bay on Lantau Island. These were supplemented by kaitos, local village ferry services, licensed to serve remote coastal settlements. At the end of the year, 87 kaitos were in operation.
Road Passenger Transport
Road passenger transport accounted for two-thirds of all public transport journeys. More than half of public transport journeys made by road were on franchised buses, and the remainder on green minibuses, public light buses, taxis and non-franchised buses.
Franchised Buses
There were significant improvements in the franchised bus service network during the year, made feasible by the opening of the Western Harbour Crossing (WHC), the West Kowloon Highway, the Lantau Link and the North Lantau Highway. Another 53 new bus routes were introduced, with six of them diverted to operate via the WHC, providing direct bus services between the New Territories, West Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Another four bus routes were introduced to operate to Tung Chung New Town and Chek Lap Kok Temporary Bus Terminus via the Lantau Link and the North Lantau Highway.
The largest operator is the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB). It runs 312 bus routes in Kowloon and the New Territories; 31 cross-harbour routes jointly with the China Motor Bus Company Limited (CMB); 10 cross-harbour routes with Citybus Limited and 13 cross-harbour routes of its own. KMB also provides 'Airbus' services to and from the airport, operating three routes to Hong Kong Island and two within Kowloon.
The KMB fleet at the end of the year comprised 3 839 registered vehicles, with 2 067 double-decker buses, and 1 494 air-conditioned double-decker and 278 single- decker buses. Of these, 13 were 'super' low-floor single-deck buses with provision for wheelchair passengers.
KMB made 1.05 billion passenger trips and covered 300 million kilometres in 1997. It was granted a franchise up to July 31, 2007. Fares ranged from $1.20 to $23.60 for non air-conditioned services, and from $3 to $34.20 for air-conditioned services. Passengers aged 65 and over are entitled to concessionary fares on every KMB route, except for the Airbus services.
To relieve peak-hour congestion on the MTR along the Nathan Road Corridor, KMB operated 25 air-conditioned bus routes providing services mainly in the morning peak hours on weekdays from the New Territories and North Kowloon to
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