ENG-1975 — Page 195

&

138

COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT

end of the year. They may ply for hire anywhere except on roads or in areas where prohibitions or kerbside stopping restrictions apply. As minibus drivers obstruct traffic flow in stopping for their passengers, more restricted and prohibited zones have been introduced. During the year, an increasing number of minibus operators showed interest in providing more feeder routes over roads generally unsuitable for more conventional buses. In July, three new feeder routes were introduced linking Causeway Bay and Central with Aberdeen via Shouson Hill. They brought to six the total number of feeder routes in operation, the other three linking The Peak and upper Mid-Levels areas with Central.

Coaches for sightseeing tours and school and factory buses are operated by a number of companies, while some schools and factories provide their own private omnibus and light bus services. At the end of 1975 the number of vehicles licensed for these purposes totalled 2,926.

Trams

On Hong Kong Island, Hongkong Tramways Company operates four routes totalling 19 miles, most of which is double-tracked along the north shore corridor between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan. During the year the company's fleet of 162 double-deck tramcars and 22 single-deck trailers carried 144 million passengers and covered 6,3 million miles. This represented the highest utilisation of any road passenger transport service in Hong Kong, with each car carrying an average of 2,436 passengers a day. To improve operating speeds and reduce conflicting traffic, tram tracks were segregated from traffic lanes along the realigned Queensway leading to and from Central District, through which the maximum frequency is one tramcar every 32 seconds in each direction. Reserved track will be extended to other suitable locations in line with highway development.

In November, the Legislative Council approved an increase in tram fares and the flat rate went up from 20 cents to 30 cents on December 1. Children's fares re- mained at 10 cents and the unlimited travel monthly tickets went up from $18 to $27. At the same time, the Hongkong Tramways Company was absolved from making any further royalty payments to the government.

The Peak Tramways Company operates a funicular tram service stopping at five intermediate stations between Garden Road and Victoria Peak-1,305 feet above sea level. It is considered to be the steepest funicular railway in the world, using steel wire ropes as its sole means of haulage, with the steepest gradient being 1 in 2. Some 2.03 million passengers were carried in 1975, each of the three tramcars having a capacity of 72 people. Approval was given for fares to be increased on December 1, the new full fare for adults being $1.50 (previously $1), with a $1 fare for certain intermediate stations. Children's fares remained at 50 cents for any journey. Monthly tickets for adults were re-introduced and the charge for students' monthly tickets was increased.

Ferries

The Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company operates passenger and vehicular ferry services on 14 cross-harbour routes and 23 routes to the New Territories and

Page 195Page 196