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s with a combined length of 38.6 kilometres. It operated by the government-owned Mass Transit Railway Corporation and was opened in stages between October 1979 and May 1986. The network has 37 stations and is worked by 622 cars assembled into seven or eight car trains; it is used by 1.72 million passengers daily and is the most intensely used metro in the world proportionate to its length.
Cars and stations are air conditioned, and fares range from $2.5 to $6 according to distance travelled. Work has begun on an extension to the system to provide a second harbour crossing between Kwun Tong and Quarry Bay. The 4.6 kilometre line will include an additional intermediate station and should be open in late 1989 or early 1990.
In September 1988 a light rail transit system was opened in the North-west New Territories. The system comprises 23.3 km of routes in Tuen Mun and a route to Yuen Long. The service is operated by 70 single- deck cars and is supported by bus feeder routes worked by 59 double-deck buses and 12 small coaches. The light railway and the local feeder buses are both owned and operated by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. Adult single fares range from $1.5 to $2.4 according to the length of ride. By the end of 1988 about 170 000 trips were made daily on the light rail system.
Hongkong Tramways Limited operates six services along the urban north shore of Hong Kong Island. One hundred and sixty-three double-deck trams operate these services between Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town and around Happy Valley on 16.3 kilometres of route. The adult fare is 60 cents and 360 000 passengers are carried daily. Hongkong Tramways now operates the only all double-deck tram fleet in the world.
The Peak Tramways Company Limited operates a funicular railway from Central (Garden Road) to the Peak (Victoria Gap) and serves four intermediate stops en route. This cable-hauled line is 1.4 kilometres long and climbs 373 metres. Two cars are used, with a third kept as a spare vehicle, and carry 7 650 passengers daily, most of whom are tourists. The service began in 1888, and the fare is now $6 per adult single trip.
Ferries: The 'Star' Ferry Company Limited operates two passenger services linking Central District on Hong Kong Island with Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom in Kowloon, plus a route from Kowloon to Wan Chai. Twelve vessels provide frequent sailings and carry 115 000 passengers each day. Fares on the seven minutes crossing from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui are 80 cents on the upper deck and 60 cents on the lower deck, whilst a flat fare of 90 cents is charged on the Hung Hom crossing. The Kowloon to Wan Chai route charges a flat fare of $1.
The Hongkong & Yaumati Ferry Company Limited provides a comprehensive network of ferry services across the harbour and links Hong Kong Island with outlying districts and islands. The company operates 21 regular services, including eight cross harbour passenger, two cross-harbour passenger/vehicular and three cross harbour vehicular services, plus eight to the outlying districts. Six other services include four recreational passenger services and two infrequent vehicular services to Lantau. Passenger fares range from $1.1 to $12 for regular services, whilst the charges for vehicles on the cross harbour services range from $3.3 for motorcycles and $6.5 for private cars to $85 for vehicles over 11 metres long.
The company operates a fleet of 76 vessels, compri- sing double and triple-deck ferries, vehicular ferries and hoverferries. Carrying an average of 207 000
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passengers daily, the company is one of the largest ferry operators in the world.
Public and Private Transport: About 90 per cent of Hong Kong's population depends on public transport. It is estimated that the 160 579 private cars currently licensed carry about one million people a day compared with 9.8 million passengers carried by public transport. In order to discourage the continuous growth in the number of private cars since 1976, substantial increases in first registration tax, licence fees and fuel tax were introduced in May 1982. The number of licensed private cars has declined from 1983 to 1986 as further increases in fees were made in the years. However, the declining trend for the number of licensed cars was reversed since 1987 when more new cars were being registered. Private cars still account for over half of all vehicle on the road. The Contract Hire Car Permit System instituted in 1981 allows private cars to operate services for hotels, schools, tourist agencies and residential areas. Over 682 permits are currently valid.
Parking: There are a total of 7 948 parking spaces in 12 multi-storey and four open-air car/lorry parks built by the government. The multi-storey car parks were handed over to Wilson Parking (Hong Kong) Limited for management in 1984. A further 60 000 spaces are available in multi-storey and open-air vehicles parks run by private enterprise.
On-street parking spaces are provided where they do not obstruct traffic. Where there are limited avail- able spaces and a high demand, spaces are metered to deter long-term parking. Some 14 200 metered spaces operate from 8 a.m. until midnight on weekdays. To provide spaces for short-term parking in certain busy areas meter operating hours have been extended to include the period 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays.
Road Tunnels: Four road tunnels are in use; three are operated by the Transport Department and the fourth by the Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company Limited.
The Lion Rock Tunnel, which opened in 1967, is managed by the Transport Department and provides a road link from north Kowloon to Sha Tin New Town and beyond. Because of continuing population growth to the north of the tunnel, the traffic volume is increas- ing rapidly and on average 997 000 vehicles now use the facility daily. An increased toll of $3 for all vehicles came into effect on 1 April 1985.
The Transport Department also manages the Aber- deen Tunnel, which was opened to two-way traffic in one tube in March 1982 and to full two-tube opera- tion in March 1983. On average 45 600 vehicles per day use the tunnel. The toll was increased to $3 for all vehicles from 1 April 1985.
The Airport Tunnel, under Transport Department management, opened to traffic in June 1982 and runs beneath the runway of Kai Tak International Airport. It provides improved road communication between the central area of Kowloon and Kwun Tong. No tolls are charged at this twin-tube facility which is used by approximately 47 300 vehicles per day.
The cross-harbour tunnel is managed by the Cross Harbour Tunnel Company Limited, in which the gov- ernment has a 25 per cent equity holding. The tunnel, which opened in 1972, is now used by an average of 116 700 vehicles daily. A passage tax was imposed on all vehicles except buses from 1 June 1984 and the tolls now range from $4 to $25.
Statistics used in this fact sheet relate to December 1988 except where otherwise indicated.
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