ENG-2005 — Page 328

282 Transport

Chau and Wu Kai Sha, and continued reconstruction of the public piers at Sha Tau Kok, Wong Shek and Ko Lau Wan and construction of a new pier and boardwalk at Stanley.

Hong Kong is one of the busiest ports in the world and the department plays an important role in its upkeep. It serves as the maintenance authority for civil engineering marine works and provides maintenance services to ferry piers and public and government marine facilities, as well as maintenance dredging of the harbour and tidal sections of some major river channels. The public and government marine facilities being maintained by the department include 506 hectares of typhoon shelters, 8 kilometres of quay at public cargo working areas, 12 kilometres of breakwaters, 118 kilometres of seawalls, 306 piers and public landing steps, 96 dolphins (mooring structures), 14 100 hectares of fairways and 3 590 hectares of anchorage areas.

The department has always employed the latest technologies to facilitate effective maintenance, such as using cathodic protection for reinforced concrete and aerial photogrammetry for monitoring rubble-mound breakwaters and seawalls.

International Transport and Logistics Hub

Logistics is an important sector of the economy, accounting for about 5.4 per cent of Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product. Hong Kong is Asia's premier international transport and logistics hub, as well as an important gateway to Mainland China. It is also the world's busiest international air cargo centre and one of the world's busiest container ports. These achievements are attributed to the operators of the services and facilities the investors as well as the efficient workforce. The success is also the result of the constructive private and public partnership and cooperation.

Efficient, reliable and well-connected, Hong Kong's airport and port are important assets in the development of a logistics industry. The airport handles an average of 65 000 tonnes of cargo every week and, with its dual runways, it has ample capacity to handle the anticipated increase in demand.

Hong Kong is also home to the most productive and efficient container terminals and is the biggest private terminal operator in the world. A comprehensive network of container line services connects the port of Hong Kong with over 500 destinations worldwide. The nine container terminals at Kwai Chung-Tsing Yi provide a total handling capacity of more than 18 million TEUS.

Further measures were taken during the year to strengthen the air transport infrastructure. The Government's Economic Development and Labour Bureau concluded an Air Services Agreement (ASA) with Saudi Arabia in 2005, bringing the number of ASAS to 55 and providing more opportunities for airlines to expand services.