XN000022-1994-11-15 — Page 9

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1994.

!

MR PYRKE SAID: "NEXT YEAR WE WILL COMMISSION A CONTROL STATION AT GEMINI POINT AT MA WAN AT A COST OF $34 MILLION. THIS IS NEEDED TO CONTROL LOCAL CRAFT THAT CAN HAZARD AN OCEAN-GOING VESSEL ROUNDING THE MA WAN BEND.

THE

+

A

DEPARTMENT IS SEEKING FUNDS OF $10 MILLION TO CARRY OUT NAVIGATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT WHICH WILL INCLUDE NEW FAIRWAY PATTERNS TO REDUCE THAT RISK IF SUCH IS WARRANTED ON A COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS.

REGARDING THE CONTROL

Is OF LOCAL TRAFFIC, IT

ACHIEVED ENFORCING RULES, SUCH AS THE FAIRWAY RULE, BY USING PATROL CRAFT.

BY

THUS

THE MARINE DEPARTMENT IS IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETELY REORGANISING THE PATROLLING SERVICE FOR THE PORT BY THE REDEPLOYMENT OF CRAFT FROM OTHER SERVICES AND THE ACQUISITION OF NEW CRAFT, ALLOWING INCREASED PATROLLING HOURS BY USING MORE CRAFT FOR LONGER HOURS.

CURRENTLY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT ONLY HAS THREE HARBOUR SERVICES PATROL CRAFT OF WHICH ONLY ONE IS ON A 24-HOUR PATROL.

MR PYRKE

SAID THE NEW SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE 11 CRAFT ABOUT HALF WOULD BE ON 24-HOUR PATROLS.

OF

WHICH

HE ALSO NOTED THAT IT WAS CONSIDERED MORE LOCAL CONTROL STATIONS LIKE GEMINI POINT WITH THEIR LOCAL RADAR SURVEILLANCE OF SMALL

AT CRAFT AND THEIR DEDICATED PATROL WOULD BE NEEDED

NINE, TERMINAL

GREEN ISLAND AND MUCH LATER PENINSULA.

THE AT

CONTAINER LANTAU PORT

"THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE STATIC SAFETY

THAT IS MEASURES AND MUCH DEPENDS ON SOFTWARE,

THE PEOPLE WHO MAN VESSELS USING THE PORT, MR PYRKE NOTED.

-

"

KNOWLEDGE

HE SAID ONE OF THE MAJOR SAFETY STRANDS ON THE SOFTWARE SIDE WAS PILOTAGE A SYSTEM THAT MARINERS' WITH SPECIAL LOCAL AND EXPERTISE BOARD LARGE SHIPS AND GUIDE THEM SAFELY THROUGH THE BUSY AREAS OF HONG KONG WATERS.

PILOTAGE WAS MADE COMPULSORY FOR SHIPS OVER 10,000 TONS 1985. THE LIMIT HAS BEEN REDUCED OVER THE YEARS AND CURRENTLY MARINE DEPARTMENT IS SEEKING TO REDUCE IT FURTHER TO 3,000 TONS.

IN

THE

RECENTLY THE SYSTEM OF PILOTAGE WAS REVIEWED BY OUTSIDE

OF AND CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS WERE RECOMMENDED. ONE CONSULTANTS

WHICH WAS THE RELOCATION OF THE PILOT BOARDING STATION FROM GREEN ROUND ISLAND, MR PYRKE SAID.

SAID: HE

ISLAND

OF

TO

THE

"ONE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE CURRENT POSITION STATION USED ΤΟ BE SHIP 'RACING' TO GET TO THE STATION AND OFTEN WAITING FOR THEIR PILOTS, FOR EXAMPLE BUNCHING.

"THE VTS NOW REGULATES THAT TRAFFIC INTO A MOVING ENSURE A PILOT AND A SHIP MEET IN THE CORRECT SEQUENCE."

QUEUE

ΤΟ

MR PYRKE ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD COUNTER-MEASURES IN HAND FOR A VERY DYNAMIC SITUATION IN HONG KONG WATERS BUT THERE WAS A TO CONCENTRATE ON THE SOFTWARE SIDE AS WELL.

NEED

/HE SAID: