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Transport
Government Fleet and Dockyard
Government Fleet
The government fleet, with over 800 vessels of different types and sizes, including 108 major mechanised vessels and large-type high-speed craft, serves 14 government departments including the Hong Kong Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department and the Fire Services Department. The Government Fleet Division of the Marine Department controls and manages 75 vessels, of which 43 are manned by the department. These include patrol launches, purposely built conveyance launches, pontoons, hydrographic survey launches and explosives carriers. These vessels either support the department's own port operations or serve other departments that do not have their own fleets. In 2012, the Marine Department also had 26 vessels provided under contract by private operators, including conveyance launches, tugboats and various marine transport services for the department.
Government Dockyard
The Government Dockyard, managed by the Government Fleet Division, designs, procures and maintains all government vessels. It occupies a site of 9.8 hectares on Stonecutters Island and has a sheltered water basin of 8.3 hectares as one of the Marine Department's operational bases. For repair and maintenance of vessels, the dockyard has four movable canopies, 12 covered docking and repair sheds and 22 open-yard docking cradle spaces, supported by a ship-lift system and three ship-hoists capable of dry docking vessels of up to 750 tonnes.
In 2012, 32 new small craft, costing $3.5 million, were built for the Government and 10 new small craft building contracts, worth $2.5 million, were awarded to shipbuilders in Hong Kong and overseas. The total expenditure in maintaining the Government Dockyard systems and government fleet was close to $410 million.
Marine Facilities
Hong Kong is one of the world's busiest ports, and marine civil works are essential to keep the port running smoothly. The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) carries out maintenance work on public landing steps and ferry piers and other public and government marine facilities, as well as ensuring regular maintenance dredging of the harbour, navigation channels and major river channels. The CEDD currently maintains 506 hectares of typhoon shelters, five kilometres of quays at public cargo working areas, 124 kilometres of seawalls and breakwaters, 314 piers and landing steps, 101 dolphins (mooring structures), 14,100 hectares of fairways and 3,590 hectares of anchorage areas.
The CEDD also plans, designs and constructs public marine facilities. In 2012, the CEDD continued the planning and design of Lung Mei Beach, Cycle Parking Area near Yung Shue Wan Ferry Pier, Yung Shue Wan Development Phase 2, a new public landing facility at Lei Yue Mun, improvement works to the public landing facility at Trio Beach, and commenced improvement works at Butterfly Beach and Cafeteria Old Beach.
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