ENG-1965 — Page 238

COMMUNICATIONS

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Under a new tender system, 550 new licences (350 in Kowloon and 200 on Hong Kong Island) were issued during 1965. On Hong Kong Island fares are $1.50 for the first mile and 20 cents for every fifth of a mile or 25 cents for every quarter of a mile thereafter. The number of taxis at the end of the year was 885. In Kowloon the fare is $1 for the first mile and 20 cents for every quarter mile thereafter. At the end of the year 1,006 taxis were registered for Kowloon. Taxis licensed for the New Territories may transport passengers to any place in Kowloon, but may pick up passengers in Kowloon for destinations in the New Territories only at special taxi stands. They may not operate internally in Kowloon. There were 635 taxis licensed to operate in the New Territories, an increase of 9 per cent over 1964.

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Public omnibuses operate certain transport services excluded from the monopolies of the major bus companies. These include coaches for sightseeing tours, those provided by hotels for their guests and those used for certain school-bus services. At the end of the year there were 125 public omnibuses licensed by the Commissioner of Police. Public cars operate under similar franchise and differ only in that they seat a maximum of nine passengers. At the end of the year there were 883 public cars licensed. No scale of fees is laid down for the hire of public cars or omnibuses.

FERRY SERVICES

The Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited operates a fleet of 69 diesel-engined ferries of which 14 are vehicle ferries. The company maintains 11 ferry routes inside the harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, of which three are vehicle ferry

routes.

The vehicle ferry routes consist of a combined passenger-vehicle link between the central district and Yau Ma Tei in Kowloon, a new route for vehicles only between North Point and Kowloon City introduced early in the year, and a double-decker vehicle ferry service between the central district and Yau Ma Tei which was converted from a single-decker service at the end of the year.

Ferries to outlying districts call at Ma Wan, Castle Peak, Tung Chung, Sha Lo Wan and Tai O; Peng Chau, Silver Mine Bay, Chi Ma Wan and Cheung Chau; Tsing Yi Island and Tsuen Wan,