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SUNDAY, MAY 6, 1979
VISITORS IN MARCH ****
THE NUMBER OF VISITORS TO HONG KONG IN MARCH TOTALLED 717,772, AN INCREASE OF 102,440 COMPARED WITH MARCH 1978, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TODAY (SUNDAY).
OF THE ARRIVALS, 231,812 CAME BY AIR WHILE 275,097 CAME BY SEA AND 210,863 BY LAND,
DEPARTURES TOTALLED 725,186, AN INCREASE OF 132,097 COMPARED WITH MARCH 1978.
283,541 BY SEA AND 212,079 BY LAND.
AIR,
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NEW HUNG HOM FERRY PIER OPENED
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THE NEW HUNG HOM FERRY PIER, THE FIRST TO INCORPORATE SPECIALLY DESIGNED FACILITIES FOR THE DISABLED, WAS OPENED TODAY (SUNDAY).
MR. DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, SAID AT THE OPENING CEREMONY THAT SINCE 1960 THE PUBLIC WORKS" DEPARTMENT HAD CONSTRUCTED OVER 50 PIERS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG AND OF THESE 13 HAD BEEN FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY.
+IN EARLIER DAYS BEFORE THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL EXISTED, THE PROCESS OF PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTING FERRY PIERS WAS A RELATIVELY STRAIGHT-FORWARD MATTER AS THE REQUIREMENTS WERE KNOWN WELL IN ADVANCE AND THE VARIOUS PIER PROJECTS COULD TAKE THEIR NORMAL COURSE THROUGH THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME AND BE BUILT READY FOR USE WHEN REQUIRED, + HE SAID.
+HOWEVER, WHEN THE GO-AHEAD WAS GIVEN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL AND THE RESITING OF THE HUNG KOM RAILWAY TERMINUS, THE PROJECTED TRANSPORT PATTERNS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY AND DIVERSIFICATION OF THE EXISTING FERRY ROUTES WAS URGENTLY REQUIRED IF THE FERRY COMPANIES WERE TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE SERVICES.+
TO MEET THESE CHANGES, MR. MCDONALD SAID, THE EARLY CONSTRUCTION OF SEVERAL NEW PIERS WAS NEEDED BUT, WHEREAS, AT LEAST THEORETICALLY, AN +INSTANT+ FERRY SERVICE COULD BE CREATED BY THE STROKE OF A PEN, AN INSTANT+ PIER COULD NOT.
AS A WAY TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM, THE GOVERNMENT AGREED TO LET THE FERRY COMPANIES CONSTRUCT THEIR OWN +TEMPORARY+ LANDINGS AND TO USE THESE UNTIL PERMANENT PIERS COULD BE JUSTIFIED AND BUILT.
MR. MCDONALD