All aboard in Central- Hung Hom ferry return

Ferry services between Central and Hung Hom resumed yesterday after nine years and are expected to see up to 1,600 passengers daily.

The original service by Star Ferry ran from 1965 to 2011 but stopped after 46 years due to a lack of passengers and interest from operators in taking over after Star Ferry's license expired.

The first trip for the new service left at 7.30am at Hung Hom's southern ferry pier for Central pier No 8 under new operator Fortune Ferry with some 70 passengers aboard.

One ferry fan, 15-year-old Lam, arrived at 5am to take first place in the queue.

Excited passengers were also seen taking pictures from the open deck area located at the ferry's aft.

A Hung Hom resident, Lau, said her seven-year-old son woke up at 6am in anticipation of the voyage.

"I feel pretty excited it is very convenient to go to Central, and I might take this ferry every week to Central with my son," Lau said.

A spokesman for Fortune Ferry said its boats can accommodate 130 or 190 people, depending on the ferry model. The company's website indicates it can deploy seven vessels that can potentially accommodate between 87 and 338 passengers.

The ride comes with free Wi-Fi and air-conditioning, while facilities such as washrooms and nursery rooms are available at the two piers.

The ferries are scheduled to operate every 20 minutes during peak hours from Monday to Saturday and every 30 to 50 minutes during non-peak hours, Sundays and public holidays. Each journey is expected to take 15 minutes.

A one-way fare cost HK$9, but it's free for children under the age of three. Half-priced single journey tickets of HK$4.50 are available for those aged 65 and above, under 12s and also passengers with disabilities.

"The ferry is quite new. However, I hope fares can be cheaper Star Ferry only costs around HK$3 to HK$4," said a passenger, Tang, from Lantau.

However, a spokesman noted that while the current one-way fare is more expensive than Star Ferry's previous fare of HK$6.30, the new service provides air-conditioning and WiFi.

Fortune Ferry also hopes to introduce "environmentally-friendly ferries" and install solar panels at the piers, he said, adding that more journeys could be added if the demand was high.

A "water taxi" service, where passengers will be able to hop on and off at any five calling points, is expected to be available by the end of the year.

The stops atr Kai Tak runway park, Hung Hom, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central and the West Kowloon cultural district.

Fortune Ferry was founded in 1999 and owned by Chu Kong Passenger Transport. It also operates two other ferry routes: between North Point and Kwun Tong; and from Tuen Mun to Tai O.