ENG-1967 — Page 263

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COMMUNICATIONS

The Star Ferry Company Limited runs 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. The Company has 14 vessels with a total passenger carrying capacity of 7,857. During 1967, 48.625 million passengers were carried, a decrease of 13.7 per cent compared with 1966.

TRANSPORT OFFICE

The Transport Office was set up under the Commissioner for Transport in December 1965. It provides a secretariat for the Transport Advisory Committee besides carrying out a wide range of executive functions in the transport field. On June 9, responsibility for vehicle licensing and registration, driving testing and licensing and vehicle inspection, was transferred from the Commissioner of Police to the Commissioner for Transport. As the statutory authority, the Commissioner is also responsible for regulating public transport services and co-ordinating action between other departments in the transport field.

The number of registered vehicles at the end of 1967 was 100,982, an increase of 6.9 per cent over the previous year. (Vehicle statistics are given in Appendix XXXVIII). The system of compulsory inspection of taxis and public cars, instituted in June, 1966, was continued during 1967 to ensure that these vehicles comply with basic safety requirements.

The demand for driving licences continued to rise and during the year 160,146 driving tests were conducted and 29,992 driving licences were issued.

CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL

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, was approved in principle by the Legislative Council in 1965. It was subject to certain conditions, one of which was that the tunnel had to be completed by 1970. With the approval of the government, the company assigned all its rights and obligations to the Cross- Harbour Tunnel Company on May 17, 1966. During the year, a firm of engineering consultants was employed by the government to