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Pro-active traffic management to keep safety in HK waters
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The Marine Department has moved from a reactive stance of passive monitoring to that of pro-active intervention in vessel traffic management in order to maintain safety in Hong Kong waters.
At a meeting of the Legislative Council Panel on Economic Services this (Monday) afternoon. the acting General Manager (Vessel Traffic Services) of the Marine Department. Mr Francis Liu, said that from 1984 to 1994 there were marked challenges to the harbour.
Mr Liu said there had been a major growth in vessel movements through the port of Hong Kong together with the economic growth in the Pearl River Delta.
Ocean-going vessel movements grew at a compound rate of 12 per cent per annum, river-trade cargo vessels and river-trade ferries at 20 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. Vessel design has changed towards larger capacity and deeper draft cargo ships and high speed, high capacity ferries.
Mr Liu said: "To cope with this growth in vessel number and size, the port has had to shift its hub to the deeper, more open waters in the west.
"This is illustrated by the Kwai Chung container port, west Tsing Yi tanker terminals and ship repair activities now centred at north Lantau."
In response to these changes, six proactive initiatives in marine traffic management have been focused upon. They are -
* The Marine Department regularly surveys vessel activities to assess overall traffic pattern trends. In addition, all proposals to build new port facilities or undertake marine works are subject to a detailed Marine Impact Assessment to determine the effect on marine safety at that locality during the construction period and after completion:
* New provisions, such as new fairways and traffic separation schemes, have been introduced to enable improved control of vessel traffic flows. Similarly, anchorages have been re-organised to reduce vessel movements through busy traffic lanes and for better management of the mid-stream cargo operations arcas: