XN000022-1977-03-10 — Page 2

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1977

FEWER PEOPLE USE CROSS-HARBOUR FERRIES

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THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED ACROSS HONG KONG HARBOUR BY FERRIES LAST YEAR DROPPED BY NEARLY 12 MILLION WHILE PASSENGER TRAFFIC ON THE OUTLYING DISTRICT FERRY SERVICES ROSE BY SOME 1.3 MILLION COMPARED WITH 1975.

ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, A TOTAL OF 169.5 MILLION PASSENGERS USED THE 17 CROSS-HARBOUR FERRY SERVICES LAST YEAR. WHEN COMPARED WITH THE FIGURE OF 181.5 MILLION IN 1975, THIS REPRESENTED A DROP OF 7.4 PER CENT.

OF THE TOTAL, 118.8 MILLION PASSENGERS WERE CARRIED BY VESSELS OF THE HONGKONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY (HYF) WHILE THE REMAINDER USED THE STAR+ FERRY COMPANY.

AT THE SAME TIME, 16.5 MILLION PEOPLE PATRONISED HYF'S OUTLYING DISTRICT FERRY SERVICES, AN INCREASE OF 8.9 PER CENT OVER THE FIGURE OF 15.2 MILLION IN 1975.

COMMENTING ON THE FIGURES, A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE DECREASE IN THE CROSS-HARBOUR PASSENGER FERRY TRAFFIC WAS THE RESULT OF COMPETITION FROM TUNNEL BUS SERVICES COUPLED WITH INCREASED FERRY FARES.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE OUTLYING DISTRICT FERRY SERVICES HAD CONTINUED TO EXPAND. HOWEVER, THE DISPARITY IN THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS ON WEEKDAYS COMPARED TO THE HEAVY DEMAND ON HOLIDAYS AND AT WEEKENDS +PRESENTS A DIFFICULT PROBLEM IN BOTH MEETING THIS DEMAND AND IN HAVING AN ECONOMICALLY UTILISED FLEET+, HE SAID.

THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED ON THE HYF CROSS- HARBOUR SERVICES LAST YEAR DROPPED BY 2.5 MILLION COMPARED WITH 1975. A TOTAL OF 3.5 MILLION VEHICLES WERE CARRIED BY THE THREE VEHICULAR FERRY SERVICES. A FOUR PER CENT DECREASE IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF THE YEAR COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1975 WAS RECOVERED IN THE FINAL QUARTER WITH THE RE-OPENING OF THE NORTH POINT TO KOWLOON CITY SERVICE. AS A RESULT, THE COMPANY CARRIED ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF VEHICLES AS IN 1975.

AT PRESENT, THE HONGKONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY PROVIDES 39 SERVICES, COMPRISING ONE COASTAL, THREE VEHICULAR, 13 CROSS-HARBOUR PASSENGER AND 22 OUTLYING DISTRICT SERVICES.

THE COMPANY HAS A FLEET OF 89 VESSELS COMPRISING 40 DOUBLE-DECK FERRIES, EIGHT TRIPLE-DECK FERRIES, 11 WATER 'BUSES', 13 WATER 'TAXIS', FIVE HOVERFERRIES, 12 VEHICULAR FERRIES AND A SPECIAL 397-SEATER DELUXE FERRY SUITABLE FOR OPEN WATERS.

/THROUGHOUT