ENG-1998 — Page 313

TRANSPORT

Since mid-October, the opening time of the Lo Wu crossing has been extended by one hour, from 7 am-11 pm to 6.30 am-11.30 pm.

Lok Ma Chau, Sha Tau Kok and Man Kam To are the three road crossing points between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The Lok Ma Chau crossing was opened to goods vehicles on a 24-hour basis in November 1994. The Lok Ma Chau crossing opens for passenger traffic at 7 am. Its closing time was extended by one hour from 9 pm to 10 pm in October 1998. The Sha Tau Kok and Man Kam To crossings open daily to goods vehicles from 7 am to 6 pm and 7 am to 10 pm respectively. Sha Tau Kok and Man Kam To both operate from 7 am to 8 pm for passenger traffic.

The three road crossings handled 27 000 cross-boundary vehicles per day in 1998, representing an increase of 3.5 per cent during the year. Goods vehicles accounted for 88 per cent of the traffic. The average daily vehicular traffic in 1998 was 2 000 at Sha Tau Kok; 7 000 at Man Kam To; and 18 000 at Lok Ma Chau respectively. Since October 1998, during the closure hours of the Sha Tau Kok and Man Kam To crossings, goods vehicles assigned to use these crossings are allowed to use Lok Ma Chau crossing.

In 1998, the average daily passenger flow at Lok Ma Chau crossing increased from 13 700 to 20 000, while that for the Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok crossings was maintained at 2 200 and 3 000 respectively. In 1998, 60 companies operated 133 coach services across the boundary.

The shuttle bus service introduced in March 1997 between the Lok Ma Chau Public Transport Interchange and Huanggang in Shenzhen is well patronised and carries 7 970 passengers daily. Operating hours have been extended from 7.30 am-8.30 pm to 7.30 am-9.30 pm since mid-October 1998.

Improvement works to Lok Ma Chau crossing are under way. Ten extra pairs of immigration/customs kiosks for processing vehicles will be completed by late 1999, and additional coach lay-bys and extension of the Control Point Building will be completed in 2001/2002. In 1998, works for providing 128 coach lay-bys at the control point were completed.

The volume of cross-boundary traffic to the Mainland is growing. To cater for the anticipated growth, discussions are being held with the relevant Mainland authorities on the possibility of opening up new road and rail crossings. Besides the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang railway passenger crossing, to be completed by 2004, projects under study include the Lingdingyang Bridge and the Hong Kong/Shenzhen Western Corridor.

Cross-boundary Ferries

Cross-boundary ferry services to the Mainland and Macau are operated from the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan. At the end of 1998, eight operators provided ferry services to Macau and 24 ports in China. In 1998, the sea passenger throughput to the Mainland and Macau reached 6.3 million and 10.5 million, representing a 8.8 per cent decrease and a 4.8 per cent decrease from 1997, respectively.

There are 13 berths and 58 immigration counters in the China Ferry Terminal, which commenced operation in 1988. At the end of 1998, ferry services to Macau and

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