XN000022-1995-12-20 — Page 11

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Proactive marine traffic management plans unveiled

The Marine Department today (Wednesday) unveiled a series of proactive initiatives in marine traffic management to better manage traffic in the busy waters of Hong Kong harbour.

The General Manager (Vessel Traffic Services) of the department, Mr Roger Tupper, said these initiatives were designed to cope the ever increasing marine traffic and to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the port.

During the past 10 years ocean-going ship movements have increased by over 200 per cent whilst river-trade cargo vessel and ferry transits experienced similar growth.

The tremendous increase in the volume of traffic posed a major challenge to the Marine Department's marine traffic management style, which in the past was focused on passive monitoring of ship movements, Mr Tupper noted.

He said the response to cope with the increase required a more active interventionist form.

The department has hence embarked on a series of initiatives for better management of the fast growing traffic. Some of these initiatives begin to pay off while others are at the advanced stage of planning.

Mr Tupper said a latest round of re-alignment of the principal fairways and anchorages in the western part of the harbour had been completed.

"The new arrangement facilitates the movements of ocean-going traffic in line with the traffic activity level and minimises conflict vicinities," he said.

Additionally the department keeps constant watch on the sophisticated traffic management surveillance system which came into operation in 1989. A latest move in this direction is the introduction of Local Marine Traffic Control Centres at conflict vicinities.

"The first centre at the Ma Wan Channel commenced operation in June this year, initially with limited operating hours but starting from last Saturday (December 16) the centre is manned round the clock," Mr Tupper said.

"To supplement the surveillance system and to provide a physical presence on the spot, the operations of the patrol launch fleet has extended considerably over past

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