XN000022-1981-08-08 — Page 4

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1981

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VITAL ROLE OF FERRIES RECOGNISED, DPW SAYS

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THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANT FUTURE ROLE OF FERRY TRANSPORT, PARTICULARLY ITS PLACE IN THE TRANSPORT STRUCTURE OF SOME OF HONG KONG'S NEW TOWNS, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS MR DAVID MCDONALD, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

MR MCDONALD WAS SPEAKING AT THE LAUNCHING OF THE NEW FERRY VESSEL +MAN HING FOR THE HONG KONG AND YAUMAT! FERRY COMPANY.

HE SAID HE NOTED THE COMPANY'S WILLINGNESS TO EXPAND ITS ROUTES AND SERVICES - A PROGRAMME IN WHICH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO PLAYING ITS PART.

THERE WAS A CONTINUING PROGRAMME TO UPGRADE EXISTING FERRY PIERS AND PROVIDE NEW ONES.

+FOR EXAMPLE, I WOULD DRAW ATTENTION TO THE NEW FERRY PIER ON TSING YI, FOR WHICH THE SUB-STRUCTURE IS UNDER WAY AT THE MOMENT, THE PROPOSED NEW PIER AT TSUEN WAN FOR WHICH TENDERS ARE NOW BEING CALLED, AND THE NEW TUEN MUN FERRY PIER, CONSTRUCTION OF WHICH IS EXPECTED TO COMMENCE IN EARLY 1982, + MR MCDONALD SAID.

*THESE EXAMPLES CLEARLY SHOW THAT GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANT FUTURE ROLE FOR THIS FORM OF TRANSPORT AND IN PARTICULAR ITS PLACE IN THE TRANSPORT STRUCTURE OF SOME OF OUR NEW TOWNS.+

REFERRING TO THE POSSIBILITY OF USING THE AIR SPACE ABOVE PIERS FOR COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES, MR MCDONALD SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT APPROVAL FOR A PROJECT FOR LIMITED COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OVER JUBILEE STREET PIER HAD BEEN GIVEN, AND THAT WORK SHOULD START SHORTLY.

MR MCDONALD SAID THAT WITH THE LAUNCHING OF THE +MAN HING+, HE COULD SEE VISIBLE PROOF OF THE GROWTH OF THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY AND ITS ACHIEVEMENT IN PROVIDING EVEN BETTER SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC.

+SIR JACK CATER SAID AT THE LAUNCHING OF THE MAN WO' IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR THAT HE DETECTED A NOTE OF PRIDE IN YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND A CONFIDENCE FOR FURTHER GROWTH IN THE FUTURE.

+WITH THE LAUNCHING OF THIS MAGNIFICENT NEW VESSEL, I CAN SEE THAT BOTH THE PRIDE AND THE CONFIDENCE ARE FULLY JUSTIFIED, MR MCDONALD SAID.

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