XN000022-1986-03-27 — Page 48

THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1986

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HOVERFERRY SERVICE IN, PASSENGER FERRY ROUTE CUT ******

THE PASSENGER FERRY SERVICE BETWEEN CHAI WAN AND KWUN TONG, OPERATED BY THE HONG KONG AND YAUMATI FERRY COMPANY (HYF), ILL BE WITHDRAWN FROM TUESDAY (APRIL 1) WHILE A NEW HOVERFERRY SERVICE BETWEEN TSIM SHA TSU! EAST AND CENTRAL WILL BE LAUNCHED THE SAME DAY.

THE CANCELLATION OF THE CHAI WAN TO KWUN TONG SERVICE WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND ENDORSED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN VIEW OF THE CONTINUOUS DECLINE IN PATRONAGE AND THE AVAILABILITY OF ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT FOR COMMUTERS.

IT HAS ALSO BEEN DISCUSSED BY THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT COMMITTEES OF THE RELEVANT DISTRICT BOARDS.

MOREOVER, THE MARINE DEPARTMENT NOW REQUIRES THE CHAI WAN FERRY PIER SITE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PUBLIC CARGO HANDLING AREA.

PASSENGERS USING THE SERVICE MAY EITHER SWITCH TO THE SAI WAN HO TO KWUN TONG FERRY SERVICE OR TO THE MTR WHICH PROVIDES A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THE TWO PLACES.

CHAI WAN AND SAI WAN HO IS CONNECTED BY CMB ROUTES 82A, WHICH RUNS BETWEEN ON YIP STREET IN CHAI WAN AND YAU MAN STREET IN QUARRY BAY, AND 83, WHICH LINKS CHAI WAN EAST WITH TAI KOO SHING, AS WELL AS THE MTR.

THE CHAI WAN TO KWUN TONG FERRY ROUTE, INTRODUCED IN LATE 1981 AS A TEMPORARY SERVICE, HAS SUFFERED A CONTINUOUS DROP IN PASSENGERS SINCE THE END OF 1982. THE SITUATION WAS AGGRAVATED BY THE OPENING OF THE MTR ISLAND LINE LAST MAY.

BY JANUARY THIS YEAR, THE AVERAGE DAILY PATRONAGE WAS 3 122, A DECREASE OF 53 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE PEAK PATRONAGE FIGURES RECORDED IN OCTOBER 1982.

A SURVEY CONDUCTED LAST SEPTEMBER ALSO SHOWED THAT THE ROUTE'S AVERAGE OCCUPANCY RATE WAS ONLY ABOUT 20 PER CENT OF VESSEL CAPACITY.

MEANWHILE, THE TSIM SHA TSUI EAST TO CENTRAL HOVERFERRY SERVICE, TO OPERATE BETWEEN 7.35 AM AND 6.25 PM DAILY, WILL HAVE A FREQUENCY OF 20 MINUTES.

A FARE OF $4 WILL BE CHARGED, WITH NO CONCESSION TO CHILDKEN OR STUDENT TRAVEL CARD HOLDERS. HOWEVER, DURING OFF-PEAK HOURS ON MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS, THE FARE CHARGED WILL BE $2, AND ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS THE FARE FOR STUDENTS OR CHILDREN IS ALSO $2.

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