TNAG-1267-FCO40-1616-Economic-situation-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 52

Electricity and gas

5.13

1982.

Electricity consumption in the third quarter of

1983, at 4 351 million kilowatt hours, was 13% higher than

While industrial

the amount of electricity

and by commercial users

respectively. Electricity

in the third quarter of

consumption increased by 12%,

consumed by domestic users

increased by 16% and 13%

exports to China

to China amounted to 104 million kilowatt hours,

equivalent to 2% of

2% of the total electricity consumption in Hong Kong. Town gas consumption was 16% higher in the third quarter of 1983 than in the third quarter of 1982.

Domestic consumption and commercial consumption rose by

13% and 21% respectively.

Activity in selected tertiary services sectors

5.14

Continuing the recent trend, the numbers of passenger journeys on the Mass Transit Railway and on the

two bus companies increased steadily by 2.7% and 7.3%

respectively in the third quarter compared with the same

period a year earlier, while those on the ferries

decreased by 5.4%. Due no doubt to the opening of the

double-tracked electric service, the number of

of passenger journeys on the Kowloon Canton Railway increased by 133%

over this period. There were no other significant

developments in the public transport sector. For private

transport, the number of newly registered private cars

showed a further drop, from 3 069 in the third quarter of

1982 to 1 734 in the third quarter of 1983. The total number of private cars registered at the end of September

1983, at 204 717, was 5% less than at the end of September

1982.

5.15

As regards cargo movements, the weight of

outward cargo carried by sea was 36% higher, and by air

was 35% higher, in the third quarter of 1983 than in the

/ same

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