ENG-2015 — Page 254

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Transport

Island between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, and about 3km of single track around Happy Valley.

The company's 166 trams, including two open-balcony trams for tourists and private hire and three special maintenance trams, make up the world's largest fleet of double-deck trams in operation. The tramway recorded a daily average of 180,000 passenger trips in 2015.

Peak Tram

Hong Kong's other tramway is a cable-hauled funicular railway operated by the Peak Tramways Company Limited from Garden Road in Central to The Peak. The 1.4km line began operation in 1888 and was modernised in 1989. In 2015, the Peak Tram recorded an average of 17,500 passenger trips a day.

Road Transport

Road Network

The territory has 2,101km of roads and 1,335 road structures, 16 road tunnels (including three immersed-tube cross-harbour tunnels) and five major cable-supported bridges.

Tunnels

The government owns 11 road tunnels, all managed and operated by private companies under management contracts: the Cross-Harbour, Lion Rock, Aberdeen, Kai Tak, Shing Mun, Tseung Kwan O, Cheung Tsing, Tai Wai, Sha Tin Heights, Eagle's Nest and Nam Wan tunnels. The last four are located in the Tsing Sha Control Area, while Cheung Tsing Tunnel is located in the Tsing Ma Control Area. Use of the Cheung Tsing, Kai Tak and Nam Wan tunnels is free of charge. Tolls for the rest are provided for in their governing legislation.

Four other tunnels are operated by private companies under 'Build, Operate and Transfer' (BOT) arrangements: the Eastern Harbour Crossing, Tai Lam Tunnel, Tate's Cairn Tunnel and Western Harbour Crossing. The BOT franchise of the Eastern Harbour Crossing will expire in 2016, whereupon the tunnel will come under the government's ownership. The government has started preparations for the takeover of the tunnel.

There is also a private tunnel, the Discovery Bay Tunnel Link, which was built and is operated and maintained by Discovery Bay Road Tunnel Company Limited. It is open only to vehicles taking goods or providing services to Discovery Bay.

Bridges

The five major cable-supported bridges are Tsing Ma, Kap Shui Mun, Ting Kau, Stonecutters and a section of Shenzhen Bay Bridge. Only the first two levy toll charges. Tsing Ma Bridge is one of the world's longest span suspension bridges. Tsing Ma Bridge and Kap Shui Mun Bridge carry both road and rail traffic.

Tsing Ma Control Area

The Tsing Ma Control Area, managed by a private contractor, is a 21km expressway network comprising mainly Tsing Kwai Highway, Cheung Tsing Tunnel, Ting Kau Bridge, Tsing Ma Bridge

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