ENG-2001 — Page 329

TRANSPORT

about 450 000 square kilometres, as agreed internationally, rests with the Maritime. Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) of the Marine Department.

The MRCC is manned 24 hours a day by professional staff and is equipped with comprehensive communication equipment and a shore-based Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. It co-ordinates search and rescue operations in conjunction with other government departments and international ships on the high seas. Staff members of the MRCC regularly hold maritime safety seminars for fishermen's associations and yacht clubs and for the shipping community in neighbouring Guangdong Province.

In 2001, the centre handled 216 cases of vessel emergencies, of which 76 developed into search and rescue operations, including 23 medical evacuations. A total of 165 persons were rescued. The centre presented safety seminars for the public.

In recognition of its expertise, the Hong Kong MRCC has been selected as a member of the International Maritime Organisation/International Civil Aviation Organisation Joint Working Group for Search and Rescue.

Government Fleet

There are over 650 vessels of different types and sizes in the government fleet. About 152 vessels are major mechanised vessels serving under 16 government departments including the Marine Police, Customs and Excise and Fire Services. These are mainly purpose-built vessels operated and manned by the user departments. The Marine Department itself controls about 100 vessels which consist of mainly patrol launches, personnel carriers, pontoons, self-propelled barges and some specialised vessels such as hydrographic survey launches and explosives carriers. The Marine Department launches, apart from meeting traffic needs for its own port operations, also serve other government departments that do not have their own fleet. Since 1999, the Marine Department has been outsourcing the provision of marine transport services to private contractors. Six commercial personnel carriers and seven tugs were on hire to the Government in 2001. A pilot scheme to hire two commercial launches for patrol purposes was also in place in December. The result of the pilot scheme would be studied in two years' time to see if further outsourcing of patrol launches is desirable.

Government Dockyard

The fully equipped dockyard situated on Stonecutters Island has been in full operation since early 2000. It occupies a land site of 98 hectares in addition to a protected water basin of 8.3 hectares which serves also as an operational base for the fleet of vessels operated by the Marine Department.

The dockyard is responsible for the design, procurement and maintenance of all vessels in the government fleet. In 2001, 16 vessels costing $181 million were delivered to the Government and 19 new building contracts, worth $42 million, were awarded to shipbuilders in Hong Kong and overseas.

Civil Aviation

Hong Kong is a major international and regional aviation centre. The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is one of the busiest in the world. At the end of 2001, there were 64 scheduled airlines serving Hong Kong. These airlines together operated

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