Michael Shum

A water taxi ferry service on Victoria Harbour will operate on a trial basis tomorrow, with a special departure organized yesterday to celebrate the anniversary of the handover.

Service operator Fortune Ferry Company said it is confident that the water taxi can draw customers, as tickets for tomorrow's ride have already been fully booked. "The speed of the water taxi will be slower than normal ferries as we intend to let tourists peacefully admire the views of the Victoria Harbour," it said. However, the company said it does not have a timetable yet for the full launch of the water taxi, as that depends on the development of the pandemic.

The Commissioner for Transport, Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, said she is excited for the launch of the water taxi. A real-time arrival information system will be installed on the water taxis.

There will be one water taxi departure at 7.20pm per week on Saturday starting from tomorrow. Unlike the full five-stop route announced earlier, the trial run will have only three stops.

The trial run will start service at Hung Hom (South) Ferry Pier instead of the Kai Tak cruise terminal, before stopping at Tsim Sha Tsui landing No 1 on the waterfront beside the Avenue of Stars. The water taxi will then cross Victoria Harbour to arrive at Central pier No 9 and immediately start returning to Hung Hom via Tsim Sha Tsui East, meaning it will skip the West Kowloon Cultural District stop during the trial.

Passengers can hop on and off at any calling points, and the full round-trip journey will take about 70 minutes, which will cost HK$48.

People can also go between Hung Hom and Tsim Sha Tsui East, or cross the harbor for HK$10 and HK$14. There will be a half-fare concession for children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

"Passengers can enjoy the spectacular night scene of Victoria Harbour and the Symphony of Lights show during the journey," the Transport Department said.

The Hong Kong Water Taxi is the official water tourism route of Victoria Harbour, and was put forward by the government in late 2017.

The full route aims to cover attractions on both sides of Victoria Harbour, including the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, International Financial Centre, the Water Promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui, West Kowloon Cultural District and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

The water taxi can carry 170 passengers.

The water taxi service will begin operation on a trial basis tomorrow.

Harbor water taxi all set for trial