ENG-2016 — Page 273

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Transport

Port Infrastructure, Facilities and Services

Hong Kong is one of the world's busiest ports, and marine civil works are essential to keep the port running smoothly. The Civil Engineering and Development Department carries out maintenance work on public landing steps, ferry piers and terminals, the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, breakwaters and other public marine facilities; and regular maintenance dredging of the harbour, navigation channels and major river channels. The department maintains a gross area of 506 hectares of typhoon shelters, 5km of quays at public cargo working areas, 127km of seawalls and breakwaters, 317 piers and landing steps, 101 dolphin mooring structures, 14,100 hectares of fairways and 3,590 hectares of anchorage areas.

The department also plans, designs and constructs public marine facilities. In 2016, it continued with the planning and design of a new public landing facility at Lei Yue Mun and the reconstruction of Sharp Island Pier, began improvement works at Tap Mun Pier, and completed the construction of two additional berths at Sai Kung Public Pier.

Container handling facilities are a key part of the logistics sector's infrastructure. The nine container terminals at the Kwai Chung-Tsing Yi area handle about 77 per cent of Hong Kong's. container throughput and have 24 berths with a total handling capacity of more than 20 million TEUS per year.

To strengthen Hong Kong's position as an Asia-Pacific regional hub port, dredging works to deepen the Kwai Tsing Container Basin and related fairways to a navigation depth of 17 metres were substantially completed in April. The increased depth will enable the new generation of ultra-large container ships to use the port at all tides.

Public Cargo Working Areas

The Marine Department manages six public cargo working areas with a total berth length of 4,852 metres. These are operated by cargo operators for handling cargo carried by barges and

coasters.

Cross-boundary Ferry Terminals

The Marine Department operates two cross-boundary ferry terminals. The Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal, with 10 berths, operates round the clock. The China Ferry Terminal, with 12 berths, operates daily from 7am to midnight. The Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal, with three berths, operates daily from 7am to 10pm under a tenancy agreement between the terminal operator and the government. The department controls and regulates the use of these cross-boundary ferry terminals under the Shipping and Port Control (Ferry Terminals) Regulations.

Vessel Traffic Services

The Marine Department's Vessel Traffic Centre provides vessel traffic services to vessels visiting Hong Kong to ensure their safety and to facilitate their arrival and departure as expeditiously as possible.

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