XN000022-1976-08-04 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1976

MA LIU SHUI FERRY SERVICE MADE PERMANENT

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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY ADOPTED A MOTION TO INCLUDE THE EXISTING FERRY SERVICE BETWEEN MA LIU SHUI AND WU KAI SHA IN THE SCHEDULE TO THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY (SERVICES) ORDINANCE AND IN THE COMPANY'S FRANCHISE.

IN MOVING THE MOTION, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THE SERVICE WAS STARTED BY THE COMPANY IN JULY 1974 ON A LICENCE GRANTED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT UNDER THE FERRIES ORDINANCE TO REPLACE KAITO SERVICES.

THE KAITOS, WHICH ILLEGALLY CARRIED LARGE NUMBERS OF PICNICKERS BETWEEN THE TWO PLACES, WERE NOT SUITABLE FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK AND COULD NOT HANDLE THE OVERLOADING THAT OCCURRED.

HE RECALLED THAT IN FEBRUARY 1974, A MOTOR JUNK LOADED WITH PASSENGERS CAPSIZED OFF MA LIV SHUI RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF THREE PASSENGERS.

MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THE PRESENT SERVICE USING PROPER FERRYBOATS HAD PROVED POPULAR CARRYING AN AVERAGE OF OVER 30,000 PASSENGERS A MONTH.

SINCE IT HAD BEEN RUNNING SATISFACTORILY, HE SAID, IT SHOULD BE GIVEN MORE PERMANENT STATUS BY INCLUSION IN THE FERRY COMPANY'S FRANCHISE.

THE EXISTING FARE OF $1 FOR THE ORDINARY CLASS WILL BE MA INTAINED.

A DELUXE CLASS FARE AT $4 AND HOVERFERRY FARE AT $5 HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE SCHEDULE SO THAT A MORE COMFORTABLE SERVICE CAN BE INTRODUCED IN FUTURE SHOULD THE DEMAND ARISE, HE SAID.

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