ENG-1982 — Page 246

TRANSPORT

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by 10 per cent during the year, from a daily average of 434 419 in 1981, to an average of 390 000.

The Peak Tramways Company Limited has been operating a cable-hauled funicular railway service up Victoria Peak between the lower levels of Hong Kong Island and Victoria Gap, 397 metres above sea level, since 1888. The service stops at five intermediate stations on the 1.4-kilometre line, and in places negotiates a gradient of one-in-two. It is popular with tourists, and at the same time provides a direct route to Central District for residents of the Peak. The flat fare was doubled during the year from $2 to $4 for adults and from $1 to $2 for children. In 1982, the service carried 4 800 passengers a day which represented a decrease of 16 per cent compared with 1981.

Aerial Ropeways

An aerial ropeway operating in Ocean Park carries visitors between the park's lowland and headland sites. There are 240 cars on the system with a total carrying capacity of 1 440 persons. In 1982, it carried an average of 3 000 passengers a day.

Ferries

Ferry services in Hong Kong are for the most part provided by two principal companies - the Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company Limited (HYF) and the Star Ferry Company Limited. HYF operates a varied fleet of vessels on 17 cross-harbour services (three of which carry vehicles), 14 outlying district services, two excursion services, and three coastal ferry services along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island. The company has a fleet of 99 vessels, some of which are air-conditioned, comprising double and triple-deck ferries, water buses and high-speed hovercraft. During the year the company carried 116 million passengers and 3.6 million vehicles. The Star Ferry has a fleet of 10 vessels, plying across the harbour between Edinburgh Place on Hong Kong Island, and Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom in Kowloon. During the year, the company carried 38 million passengers on its two routes. The opening of the Tsuen Wan Extension of the Mass Transit Railway affected several HYF routes within MTR catchment areas resulting in a drop in passengers, ranging from nine per cent to 76 per cent, on these routes. In general, passenger traffic on HYF's cross-harbour services dropped by 11 per cent compared to 1981. Star Ferry services also showed a decrease of eight per cent in traffic as compared with 1981.

With continued road congestion, especially along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island and the approach roads to the Cross Harbour Tunnel, coastal ferries and cross- harbour vehicular ferry services have become increasingly popular. A new coastal ferry link was provided in June between Central District and North Point, in addition to the two existing services between Central and Tai Koo Shing and Central and Chai Wan. There has been a two per cent growth in vehicular ferry traffic since 1981. The capacity of existing vehicular ferry routes has increased, and new vehicular ferry services are planned between Sai Wan Ho and Kwun Tong and from the western side of Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. This does not prevent HYF from continuing to develop a wide range of services to outlying districts and new towns to cater for commuter traffic and recreational demands.

Fares on most services run by HYF were increased on August 1, 1982. Cross-harbour fares are now $1 for shorter routes, while longer-distance services charge up to $3 on weekdays. Surcharges are made for the air-conditioned deluxe class, high-speed hoverferry services and recreational services operated during holidays.

Apart from the two major ferry companies, a number of minor ferry services are run by small operators to isolated stations. Supplementary services known as 'kaitos' are