ENG-1965 — Page 239

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COMMUNICATIONS

and Sok Kwu Wan and Yung Shue Wan on Lamma Island. There is also a service from Tai Po Kau to Tap Mun in Tolo Harbour.

During 1965, 155.5 million passengers and 4.1 million vehicles were carried, an increase of 7.5 per cent and 12.2 per cent respec- tively over 1964. Vehicle ferry traffic has grown at the remarkable rate of 20 per cent a year since 1960.

The company has a depot with three slipways and a building berth for the servicing and construction of ferries. Four new ferries came into service during the year. They were two new double-ended ferries each 146 feet in length overall and 27 feet in breadth moulded, with a carrying capacity of 734 persons, and two new passenger- vehicle ferries each 170 feet in length overall and 42 feet in breadth moulded, with a carrying capacity of 846 persons and 40 vehicles.

The Star Ferry Company Limited is authorized by ordinance to run passenger ferry services across the harbour between Victoria City on Hong Kong Island and Tsim Sha Tsui on the southern tip of the Kowloon peninsula, and also between Victoria and Hung Hom on the eastern side of the peninsula. This latter service was introduced in June 1965. The company has 14 vessels in service with a total passenger carrying capacity of 7,858.

Star ferries run 21 hours a day between Victoria City and Tsim Sha Tsui until 3 a.m., and 18 hours a day between Victoria City and Hung Hom until midnight. During peak periods a ferry leaves from each side of the harbour every three minutes on the nine- minute journey between Victoria City and Tsim Sha Tsui, and every nine minutes on the 17-minute journey between Victoria City and Hung Hom. During 1965, 54.5 million passengers were carried, an increase of 8 per cent over 1964. On one day more than 184,000 people were carried.

CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL

On 11th August 1965, the Legislative Council passed, by a majority vote, a resolution approving in principle the grant of a franchise to the Victoria City Development Company to construct and operate a tunnel across the harbour between Wan Chai and Hung Hom subject to certain conditions. The company is required to complete, by 1970, a tunnel between the Hung Hom reclamation,