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and Sha Tau Kok were 30 per cent, 29 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively. Patronage started to pick up in July and the total passenger flow eventually returned to the pre-SARS level.
Patronage of cross-boundary ferry services also dropped significantly during the outbreak. Compared with the same months in the previous year, the number of passengers fell by about 20 per cent in March, and some 50 per cent in April and May. The situation continued until August, when the patronage rose again and exceeded 1 908 000, which actually represented a 2.3 per cent increase over the same month in 2002.
Upon the outbreak being reported in March, the Marine Department issued an early warning to shipowners, agents and people in the industry notifying them to take precautionary measures. The department also issued notices to all visiting vessels to report on crew members' state of health when they submitted their Pre-arrival Notification. Other means included consultative committee meetings with port operators and the local shipping community.
A Malaysian-registered cargo ship, which departed from Thailand for Guangdong, entered Hong Kong waters in May after its captain suspected 10 of its 24 crew members might be infected with SARS. Hong Kong rendered assistance on humanitarian grounds. The 10 crew members were later confirmed to be free from SARS at hospital.
Administrative Framework
The Environment, Transport and Works Bureau of the Government Secretariat, headed by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, is responsible for, among other matters, the overall policy formulation, direction and coordination of land transport and ferry services. The Secretary is assisted by the Transport Advisory Committee, which advises the Chief Executive in Council on major transport policies and issues. The committee has 18 appointed members, including the chairman and three government officials. A Transport Complaints Unit is established under the committee, and in 2003 this unit received 15 118 complaints and suggestions on traffic and transport matters. On local transport matters, the Government is advised by the District Councils and their traffic and transport committees.
The Environment, Transport and Works Bureau is supported by the Transport Department and the Highways Department. The Transport Department is headed by the Commissioner for Transport. The Highways Department is headed by the Director of Highways. The Transport Department is the authority for administering the Road Traffic Ordinance and legislation regulating public transport operations. Its responsibilities cover transport planning, road traffic and tunnel management, carparks and metered parking spaces, regulation of roads, railways and waterborne public transport, licensing of drivers and the registration, licensing and inspection of vehicles. The Highways Department is responsible for the overall design and construction of highways, and their repair and maintenance. The department also studies new railway proposals, monitors their construction, and helps resolve any interfacing problems they may have with other works projects.
The Hong Kong Police Force is the principal agency for enforcing traffic legislation and prosecuting offenders. The Prosecutions Unit of the Transport Department handles prosecutions involving safety defects on buses, disqualification under the Driving-offence Points System, and breaches of vehicle safety regulations, government