262 Transport
Cross Boundary Ferries
Cross-boundary ferry services to about 18 Mainland ports and Macao are provided by seven operators at the Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui and the new Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal. The number of cross-boundary travellers using these services to travel to and from Mainland ports totalled 6.5 million, and the number to and from Macao was 14.3 million in 2006.
The Port
Hong Kong set a record in its container throughput in 2006 by handling 23.5 million TEUS (20-foot equivalent units of containers), maintaining its status as the largest container port serving southern China and one of the busiest ports in the world.
Some 462 200 vessels arrived in and departed from Hong Kong during the year, carrying 238 million tonnes of cargo and about 23 million passengers. Most of these passengers commuted on a highly efficient fleet of high-speed ferries, including jetfoils and jet catamarans, to and from Macao and ports on the Mainland, making Hong Kong a port with one of the highest speed craft densities in the world.
Hong Kong is a modern, well equipped deep-water port serving two main types. of maritime transport — large ocean-going vessels from all parts of the world and the smaller, coastal and river trade vessels from the Pearl River. Hong Kong is the focal point of all maritime trading activities in the region. On an average day there are around 110 ocean-going vessels working in the port; nearly 530 river trade vessels entering or leaving the port; and many river ferries and local craft working in, or passing through, the harbour. Ship turnaround performance is among the best in the world: container ships at terminals are routinely turned around in less than 10 hours.
A series of measures to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong's port and the maritime industry were implemented during the year. These included reduced port fees and charges, provision of more service anchorages to increase mid-stream cargo handling capacity, and a six-month annual tonnage fee reduction for Hong Kong-registered vessels. Other enhancement measures, including the introduction of a multiple entry permit for river trade vessels to streamline port formality procedures and the reduction of the permit costs and licence fees of local vessels, will be implemented in early 2007.
Port Development
Container handling facilities are a key part of the infrastructure of the logistics sector, one of the four pillar industries of Hong Kong. The nine container terminals at Kwai Chung-Tsing Yi area have 24 berths with a total handling capacity of over 18 million TEUS per year.
Competition between the container terminals and alternative modes of container handling motivates the operators to improve their efficiency and quality of service. The investment in upgrading equipment and systems in the terminals at Kwai