The government has been urged to strengthen safety oversight of aging ferries after an Audit Commission report revealed eight franchised ferries managed by a single operator have reached an average age of 63 years.
Speaking on a radio program on Thursday, lawmaker Chan Hok-fung raised safety concerns given the fleet’s advanced age and maintenance difficulties, calling for rigorous government monitoring.
While acknowledging the nostalgic value of certain vintage vessels, he emphasized that preserving them as landmarks requires substantial investment.
Chan stated that while government subsidies can provide some support, the primary responsibility for dedicating adequate resources to maintenance and repairs must lie with the ferry operators themselves.
The report also exposed serious service shortfalls on the Central–Tsim Sha Tsui route, which is mandated to depart every six minutes but in reality runs only every 10 minutes.
Chan said the schedule disruptions are limited to certain routes and likely stem from manpower issues. He noted that complaints over the irregular frequency have been scarce, as the route mainly serves tourists who are less affected by minor timing gaps.
Nevertheless, he firmly stated that operators must adhere to the service requirements set by the Transport Department. Chan cautioned that poor scheduling discipline should not be allowed to become the norm and urged authorities to review the situation, impose higher operational standards, and ensure stricter enforcement.
On falling ferry revenue, Chan attributed the downturn to strong post-pandemic cross-border consumption, which has reduced passenger numbers across routes.
He called for targeted government support for ferry operations and better utilization of pier facilities, as adding passenger volume alone cannot sustain the business.
He also criticized lengthy government approval processes of six to nine months for pier events, which leaves many pier shops vacant and limits operators’ ability to boost non-fare income.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
