XN000022-1989-10-02 — Page 2

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MONDAY. OCTOBER 2. 1989

NEW VESSEL TRAFFIC CENTRE A MILESTONE IN HK'S PORT HISTORY

WILSON.

THE NEW VESSEL TRAFFIC CENTRE REPRESENTS A MAJOR MILESTONE 1N THE HISTORY OF THE PORT OF HONG KONG, THE GOVERNOR. SIR DAVID SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SIR

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE MARINE DEPARTMENT'S VESSEL TRAFFIC CENTRE AT THE MACAU FERPY TERMINAL IN SHEUNG

WAN, DAVID SAID THE CENTRE CAME INTO SERVICE AT THE RIGHT TIME WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSIDERING AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR FUTURE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT.

++

THESE PLANS WILL CHANGE THE FACE OF THE PORT AS WE KNOW IT TODAY. HE ADDED.

"

THE GOVERNOR SAID HONG KONG HAR FORTUNATELY SEEN VERY FEW SERIOUS MARINE ACCIDENTS IN RECENT YEARS. BUT STEADILY INCREASING MARINE TRAFFIC MEANT INCREASED RISK AS WELL AS INCREASING PROSPERITY,

"THE NEW VESSEL TRAFFIC SYSTEM WILL REDUCE THESI RISKS AND PROVIDE SUFFICIENT FLEXIBILITY TO EXPAND IN LINE WITH THE PORT'S FUTURE GROWTH. HF ADDED.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT IN ADDITION TO THE GROWING NUMBER OF CARGO SHIPS CALLING HERE. HONG KONG WAS EXPANDING FAST AS A CENTRE FOR PASSENGER SHIPPING.

TWO "LAST YEAR ALMOST 11 MILLION PASSENGERS PASSED THROUGH THE TERMINALS OPERATED BY THI MARINE DEPARTMENT EITHER TO VISIT OR RETURN FROM MACAU AND CHINA, HE SAID.

MOST OF THESE PASSENGERS TRAVELLED ON SMALL FAST VESSELS SUCH AS JETFOILS AND HOVERCRAFT.

NOTING THAT HONG KONG HAD PROBABLY THE LARGEST FLEET OF SUCH SEA-GOING VESSELS IN THE WORLD, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE SAFE CONTROL OF SO MANY FAST VESSELS IN A SMALL AREA WAS NO EASY TASK.

"THANKS TO THE CAREFUL WORK Of THE MARINE DEPARTMENT WE

EXCELLENT NEVERTHELESS HAVE AN

RECORD FOR THE SAFE

OF TRANSPORT

MILLIONS OF PASSENGERS CARRIED EACH YEAR.

"NOW THIS NEW VESSEL TRAFFIC SYSTEM, BACKED SCHEME BASED IN MACAU, WILL ENABLE ALL MOVEMENTS OF VESSELS TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED. HE ADDED.

T

UP BY

THESE

A SIMILAR VERY FAST

"PORT SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY IN OUR EVER BUSIER WATERS IMPROVED AS A RESULT, SIR DAVID SAID,

HE POINTED OUT THAT WITH HONG KONG BEING THE BUSIEST PORT IN THE WORLD. THERE WAS A NEED TO MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE EVERY AVAILABLE BERTI, IF WF WERE TO MAXIMISE THE USE

CONTAINER TERMINALS.

WILL

BE

CONTAINER

USE OF THE

OF

"BY MONITORING