ENG-2004 — Page 328

278 | Transport

up and drop-off points were provided at West Rail stations, Ma On Shan Rail Station, and the East Tsim Sha Tsui Station of East Rail.

In April, the Transport Department worked with the Education and Manpower Bureau to launch the Skills Upgrading Scheme to provide training courses to in- service road passenger industry drivers, including taxi drivers. The Transport Department and the Quality Taxi Services Steering Committee continued to develop schemes to improve the quality of taxi service. Twenty Quality Taxi Drivers and some 800 Meritorious Taxi Drivers were commended for good conduct and quality taxi service. To provide useful information to taxi drivers and passengers, seven light emitting diode display panels and eight information plates have been installed at various taxi stand. Leaflets were distributed to tourists/taxi passengers to provide useful information on taxi services. A total of 150 000 and 20 000 leaflets were distributed at the airport and the Lok Ma Chau Control Point respectively. In addition, the Transport Department published 14 issues of Taxi Newsletters and distributed 40 000 copies per issue to taxi drivers free of charge.

Ferries

Ferries provide essential transport links to outlying islands where no land transport alternatives are available, and an alternative transport service within the inner harbour and to other areas in Hong Kong.

At year-end, one ferry operator provided two cross-harbour franchised passenger ferry services and 11 ferry operators provided 28 licensed passenger ferry services to the outlying islands and across the harbour. These franchised/licensed services were supplemented by about 79 kaito services which provided services to relatively remote parts of Hong Kong.

Ferries recorded a daily average of about 95 459 passenger trips within the harbour and about 59 506 passenger trips to/from the outlying islands.

Transport Management

Effective transport management is essential for the orderly and safe operation of the transport system. The Government's regulatory powers are provided under the Road Traffic Ordinance. Every effort is made to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of transport management through the use of modern technology in the various areas elaborated below.

Licensing

At the end of 2004, there were 1 722 635 licensed drivers, 526 374 licensed private vehicles and 6 498 government vehicles. There were 344 713 licensed private cars, of which 27 411 were new vehicles registered during the year. Registered goods vehicles totalled 121 289, of which 75 200 were light goods vehicles, 42 504 were medium goods vehicles and 3 585 were heavy goods vehicles. On average, there were 3 839 new learner-drivers per month.

Since the introduction of the Driving-offence Points System in August 1984, 71 601 disqualifications have been ordered by the courts and 689 529 notices served