ENG-1954 — Page 230

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND PUBLIC WORKS

Little hope is seen of this situation being eased until the projected eastern vehicular ferry service has been inaugurated.

171 million passengers were carried by the Jordan Road-Wanchai service during 1954, making it the most popular of all services operated by the company. A modern pier is now being constructed by Govern- ment at Ma Tau Kok to take the place of the old Kowloon City Pier which was in use before the war. When it is completed a service from Wanchai to Ma Tau Kok will be started.

New Territories ferry services are popular. Seven regular services were maintained to Cheung Chau each day throughout the year, four to Silvermine Bay (via Ping Chau) and one to Tai O (via Kap Sui Mun, Castle Peak and Tung Chung). On Sundays and public holidays in the summer these were increased by five, six and one additional services respectively.

Two new vessels were put into service during the year, both of them prefabricated in the United Kingdom by Messrs. Yarrows and Co., Ltd., of Scotstoun and reassembled at Hong Kong Shipyard Ltd. One, the "Man Wah", is a double-ended diesel-engined ferry vessel with a capacity of 750 and the other the "Man Hei", a single-ended diesel-engined vessel with accom- modation for 433 passengers. With the addition of these two vessels, the company now has 41 vessels in operation. The keel of another single-ended steel vessel was laid at the Hong Kong Shipyard in October and should be completed early in 1955.

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