XN000022-1976-03-18 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1976

FARE INCREASE ON ONE HYF ROUTE

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED AN APPLICATION BY THE HONGKONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY TO INCREASE THE FARE ON ONE OF ITS FERRY ROUTES, THE INCREASE, OF 50 CENTS ON THE CENTRAL TO TSUEN WAN AND TSING YI ROUTE, WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON APRIL 1.

THE COMPANY'S APPLICATION WAS PUT TO THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR. THE TAG, WHICH INCLUDES UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY AND ADVISES THE GOVERNMENT ON ALL MAJOR TRANSPORT POLICY MATTERS, SUPPORTED THE PROPOSAL FOR A $1 FLAT FARE, BRINGING IT IN LINE WITH FERRY ROUTES OF A SIMILAR DISTANCE.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE TAC HAD FELT THAT THE SERVICE USING FAST AIR-CONDITIONED VESSELS COULD NOT REMAIN FINANCIALLY VIABLE IF FARES WERE TO REMAIN AT 50 CENTS. THE COMMITTEE ALSO TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THAT COMMUTERS HAVE SEVERAL CHEAPER PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE TO CENTRAL.+

COMMUTERS CAN TRAVEL TO CENTRAL IN 60 MINUTES FOR EITHER 50 CENTS OR 60 CENTS BY USING BOTH BUS AND FERRY, OR A COMBINED JOURNEY BY PLB AND FERRY WHICH TAKES 45 MINUTES AND COSTS $1.20.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HYF TSUEN WAN SERVICE WERE SPEED, COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE AND IT HAD PROVED VERY POPULAR WITH COMMUTERS. IT WAS THEREFORE CONSIDERED THAT A STANDARD $1 FARE WAS REASONABLE FOR A 30-MINUTE JOURNEY TIME.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, SERVICES BETWEEN CENTRAL AND TSUEN WAN AND TSING YI HAD MUCH IMPROVED. THE NUMBER OF DAILY SAILINGS HAS INCREASED BY 66 PER CENT AND THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED DAILY BY 129 PER CENT — WITH THE FREQUENCY OF SAILINGS NOW RUNNING AT ONE EVERY 10 MINUTES.

+OLDER FERRIES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY TWO 650-SEATER MAN YUET MODERN TWO-DECK VESSELS, THREE NEW 265-SEATER WATERBUSES AND FOUR 65-SEATER SIDEWALL HOVERFERRIES+, HE SAID.

WATER TAXIS WERE AT ONE TIME USED BUT THESE WERE WITHDRAWN WHEN THE HOVERFERRIES WERE INTRODUCED. SINCE 1972, IN CONNECTION WITH THE TSUEN WAN SERVICES, HYF HAS CARRIED OUT IMPROVEMENTS TO PIERS FACILITIES COSTING ALMOST $800,000 WHILE INVESTMENT IN NEW FERRIES HAS BEEN ABOUT $15 MILLION.

THE FARES ON THE CENTRAL TO TSUEN WAN AND TSING YI ROUTE WERE LAST REVISED THREE YEARS AGO. BEFORE MAY 1973 THE FARES FOR CENTRAL TO TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OR VIA TSING YI WERE 60 CENTS FIRST CLASS AND 40 CENTS THIRD CLASS.

FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS THE FARES HAVE BEEN 50 CENTS BY WATER BUS OR MAN YUET CLASS, $1 BY WATER TAXI AND $2 BY HOVERFERRY. THE WATERBUSES AND MAN YUET CLASS WILL NOW BE A FLAT FARE OF $1 BUT HOVERFERRY FARES WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.

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