Read More
The Transport Department (TD) has updated its internal guidelines for monitoring ferry services after a recent Audit Commission report highlighted lapses in regulatory oversight, including delayed follow-ups on the Star Ferry's missed trips.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The report revealed that out of 15 investigations conducted by the department into the Star Ferry, seven uncovered instances of missed or delayed trips.
However, the authorities only issued written follow-ups for three of these cases. The report also noted that routine monitoring was generally only conducted during public events or festivals.
Speaking at a hearing of the Legislative Council’s Public Accounts Committee, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan explained that the government applies different regulatory and monitoring mechanisms depending on the positioning and operation of various ferry services.
For outlying island routes and alternative cross-harbour services, operators are strictly required to submit operational data and financial statements on a regular basis.
In contrast, the regulatory framework for kaito, a small local ferry service that typically sees lower passenger volumes, offers more flexibility, allowing operators to adjust routes and frequencies and exempting them from submitting financial data.
Chan stated that the authorities have fully accepted all recommendations put forward by the Audit Commission.
The TD has since reviewed its existing mechanisms to address issues such as late data submissions by individual operators and delayed on-site survey reports from consulting firms.
The authorities will also step up their supervision of external consulting firms to ensure investigations are completed according to official requirements, she said.
