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A suggestion which commended itself to the Chamber was that the present Yaumati Ferry should be combined with the vehicular ferry. The prospects are remote of there being much passenger traffic on a ferry from the Vic- toria Recreation Club to Jordan Road, but a vehicular ferry from, say Jubilee Street, could conveniently take all the passengers who at present use the Yaumati Ferry, and the additional revenue received would help to ensure financial success. On the Kowloon side passengers would be taken to a more convenient terminus than the Yaumati Ferry.
That a terminus at Jubilee Street will cost more to construct was, the Com- mittee felt, outweighed by the consideration that a ferry pier is a permanent asset to the Colony, the more valuable the more suitably placed, and that the Jubilee Street site has a substantial advantage in facilitating the daily work- ing of ferries by affording a comparatively clear route across the Harbour to Jordan Road.
In the light of further knowledge of the subject the Chamber therefore strongly favours the Jubilee Street site, and considers that any anticipated difficulties in handling traffic, owing to the narrowness of some of the con- necting streets in that area, will be largely met by making two of the streets between Des Voeux Road and the Praya into one-way streets for arriving and departing vehicles respectively".
The Chamber had nothing further to add on the financial aspect of the pro- posal.
Jubilee Street Site-Hong Kong.
Plan 'D' shows a design for a vehicular ferry berth in front of the new Government offices between Jubilee and Pottinger Streets. The site occupies an area of 84,000 sq. ft. of which 67,000 is obtained by a reclamation, the remainder by two projecting reinforced concrete arms forming the ferry berth. The cost of constructing the proposal shown on plan 'D' is estimated at $655,000 (includes $80,000 for offices) as compared with an estimate of $620,000 for the accommodation at the Victoria Recreation Club.
The information which had been obtained regarding the amount of vehicular traffic which the proposed installation was likely to handle, was considered insufficient to enable a decision to be taken on a project involving such a large expenditure. In consequence, further investigations have been made. and this Government is indebted to many private individuals and public companies, in the Colony and Abroad, for the information which has been collected.
Combined vehicular and passenger ferry services in America and Europe do not per- mit the transport of inflammable cargo, such as Petrol, Benzine, etc.; it has been decided, therefore, to exclude from consideration the transport of such goods by a vehicular ferry installation in the Colony.
It has been ascertained that cargo and freight from the Godowns at Kowloon Point or the Railway Station can be delivered into Godowns on the sea front in Hong Kong at a rate varying between $1.50 and $1.80 per ton, provided the consignment to be handled is not less than about 5 tons. The approximate cost of transporting and deli- vering materials by motor lorry via the vehicular ferry, between Kowloon Point and Godown on the sea front in Hong Kong would cost about $3.30 per ton, this figure in- cludes for about 11⁄2 miles land transport on Hong Kong side, and is arrived at as follows :-
First cost of lorry to carry 24 tons.
Number of days worked
Return trip, Kowloon Point to West Point, including loading
and unloading
Average load each way.
Length of working day.
Depreciation and interest per annum.
$5,000.00 300
3 hrs.
1 tons. 9 hrs. $1,400.00
Say $ 4.70 per working day.
Running expenses including loading and unload-
ing cargo.
6 trips on vehicular ferry @ $2.00 per trip. Total cost of loading, transporting and delivery to
godowns of, say, 9 tons cargo handled be- tween Kowloon Point and West Point via Ve- hicular Ferry
$12.70 $12.00
27
29
$29.40 or about $3.30
per ton.