ENG-1969 — Page 258

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COMMUNICATIONS

On Hong Kong Island fares are $1.50 for the first mile or any part of it and 20 cents for every subsequent fifth of a mile. In Kowloon the fare is $1 for the first mile and 20 cents for every subsequent quarter of a mile. At the end of the year, there was a total of 3,428 licensed taxis in the Colony; 2,235 in Kowloon, 1,171 on Hong Kong Island and 22 in New Territories.

Public and private omnibuses operate bus services other than those provided by the major bus companies and the light buses. Such services include sight-seeing tours, limousine services provided by hotels and school-bus services. At the end of the year there were 524 public omnibuses and 369 private omnibuses. Public omnibuses are hired for the carriage of passengers under a contract or at a distinct fare for a predetermined route in accordance with the licence granted. Private omnibuses are not allowed to carry, passengers for hire or reward.

FERRY SERVICES

The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited operates a fleet of 63 diesel-engined ferries, 14 of which are vehicle ferries. The company maintains 10 routes in the harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, as well as services to the New Territories and outlying islands.

The Star Ferry Company Limited runs a passenger ferry service across the harbour between Victoria City on Hong Kong Island and Tsim Sha Tsui on the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula. The company uses 10 vessels on this service. Supplementary services were introduced to cope with the daily peak hour traffic and to relieve congestion at the ferry concourses.

ADMINISTRATION

The Transport Advisory Committee formed in 1965, has now a membership of four official members and six unofficial members, with one of the latter as its chairman. It advises the Governor or the statutory authority (who in most cases is the Commissioner for Transport) on all aspects of transport and traffic policy, with the exception of external sea and air communications.

The Transport Department provides a secretariat for the Trans- port Advisory Committee and carries out a wide range of executive