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THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1990
TAC DISCUSSES HYF FORWARD PLAN
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MEMBERS OF THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) TODAY (THURSDAY} DISCUSSED THE FORWARD PLANNING PROGRAMME FOR 1990-94 PROPOSED BY THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY (HYF), THE DESIRABILITY OF PROVIDING CROSS HARBOUR TAXI STANDS, REPRESENTATION OF CONSUMER INTEREST ON THE TAC, THE TOLLS FOR GOVERNMENT TOLL TUNNELS AND THE IMPACT OF THE FUEL TAX INCREASE ON THE TAXI TRADE.
IN ITS ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, HYF PROPOSES A NEW SERVICE BETWEEN WAN CHAI AND TSIM SHA TSUI EAST AND IMPROVEMENTS TO SERVICES BETWEEN WAN CHAI AND HUNG HOM, AND SERVICES FOR CHEUNG CHAU, YUNG SHU WAN AND TSUEN
WAN. THE PROPOSED SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE BETTER FREQUENCIES, LONGER OPERATING HOURS AND USE OF HIGHER CAPACITY VESSELS.
AS PART OF THE SERVICE RATIONALISATION EXERCISE FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING, THE COMPANY HAS STARTED TO SUBSTITUTE DOUBLE DECKER VESSELS FOR THE TRIPLE DECK VESSELS USED ON THE NORTH POINT-KWUN TONG SERVICE, AND TO REORGANISE THE OPERATING HOURS AND FREQUENCY OF BOTH THE VEHICULAR AND THE PASSENGER CUM VEHICULAR SERVICES BETWEEN SAI WAN HO AND KWUN TONG.
MEMBERS WERE INFORMED THAT THE WEEKEND SERVICES BETWEEN KOWLOON POINT AND OUTLYING DISTRICTS, INCLUDING MUI WO AND CHEUNG CHAU, HAD BEEN QUITE POPULAR,
THE TAC ALSO NOTED THAT SINCE NOVEMBER 1989 HYF HAD DIVERTED THREE ORDINARY SAILINGS ON THE TSUEN WAN-CENTRAL SERVICE ΤΟ CALL AT TSING YI EACH MORNING AND EVENING, OFFERING RESIDENTS AN ADDITIONAL CHOICE.
ΤΟ IMPROVE PEAK-HOUR THROUGHPUT FOR ITS TUEN MUN-CENTRAL SERVICES, HYF HAS STARTED CONVERSION WORKS TO INCREASE THE PASSENGER CARRYING CAPACITY OF ITS HOVERFERRIES FROM 74 TO 105 SEATS UTILISING THE TONNAGE PREVIOUSLY RESERVED FOR HEAVY LUGGAGE.
BY
THE COMPANY HAS ALSO AGREED TO EXAMINE, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PLANNED RECLAMATION FOR WEST KOWLOON, THE MERGING OF ITS TAI KOK TSUI - CENTRAL AND SHAM SHUI PO-CENTRAL PASSENGER SERVICES, AS A POSSIBLE MEASURE TO ENHANCE SERVICE EFFICIENCY.
ON FLEET DEVELOPMENT, MEMBERS OF THE TAC LEARNED THAT HYF WILL IMPROVE ITS VESSELS, INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF RADAR AND NIGHT VISION EQUIPMENT, INTERNAL REFURBISHMENT AND UPGRADING OF ENGINES.
THE TAC ALSO DISCUSSED THE SETTING UP OF CROSS HARBOUR TAXI STANDS BUT DEFERRED DECISION ON THE MATTER PENDING A DETAILED STUDY ON THE POLICY OF CROSS HARBOUR TAXI SERVICE.
THE TAC ALSO DISCUSSED THE MAIN
CONSUMER COUNCIL'S RECENT REPORT.
RECOMMENDATIONS
/MEMBERS GENERALLY
OF
THE