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Empty taxis using Cross Harbour Tunnel
In response to press enquiries, a spokesman for the Transport Department (TD) said today (Friday) that the department's recent surveys showed an average of about 12 per cent of empty taxis used the Cross Harbour Tunnel (CHT) from 11 pm to 7 am on weekdays.
The survey recorded nine per cent of empty taxis used CHT on November 7, 13 per cent and 12 per cent on November 13 and 14 respectively during the same period.
The spokesman was responding to a recent survey done by taximen on empty taxis using the CHT claiming that the vacancy rate averaged about 30 per cent between 11 pm on November 13 and 7 am the next day.
The spokesman added that TD's survey found the vacancy rate was as low as 4.6 per cent at 11 pm and slowly climbing up as the hour grew. The highest rate was noted on November 14 between 6 am and 7 am when 30 per cent of taxis using the CHT were empty.
For reference purpose, listed below are average percentages of empty taxis using CHT based on results of TD's various surveys:
Daytime Night time
: 11%
24 hours
: 9% -13%
: 10%
The spokesman said: "The findings are very much in line with our earlier survey results which showed the vacancy rate was between 10 per cent and 15 per cent on the average for a normal day although the percentage might be a bit higher for some special hours."
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