Hong Kong Denies Shortage of Ferry Berths

Written on December 9, 2007 by admin

Berths rights for existing operators have not been cut and all is running smoothly at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan five days after the new Taipa bound service started, a Hong Kong Marine Department officer said yesterday.

A new operator, CotaiJets began a service between the temporary ferry terminal at Taipa and the Hong Kong Island pier. The company is running twenty trips a day between the two ports.

The managing director of Shun Tak Holdings Limited, Pansy Ho Chiu-king, the incumbent operator from the peninsula terminal, repeatedly criticised the government’s handling of the new terminal last month.

In addition to concerns regarding the licensing process, Ms Ho claimed the Hong Kong terminal was currently operating at full capacity.

Children’s level math suggests the terminal is saturated and the addition of more services would result in a reduction in existing departures, Ms Ho argued.

The marine officer for ferry terminals from the Hong Kong Marine Department, Lau KK, yesterday said the addition of the new Macau service has not reduced the number of berthing slots available for the existing operators.

“There are enough time slots for more ferries based on a 30 minute allocation for each birthing,” he said.

“We are managing the births to make full use of the terminal.”

There are 8 berths available at the Hong Kong terminal for boats operating between the island and Macau. Each service is given a half hour slot to use a berth before departure and upon arrival.

This gives the terminal 16 available births each hour.

The closure of one of the berths for maintenance this week has still not impeded the operation of both companies, said Mr Lau.

Shun Tak operate a service every 15 minutes from both Hong Kong and Macau between 7am and midnight.

Cotai Waterjet don’t come close to that frequency as yet, offering a total of 20 services between both ports.

The port can also cover the new operator’s expansion plans, which include the addition of a night service.

“I think we have a good arrangement for Cotai with the present allotment,” said Mr Lau

Not so Grand Dragon
The Hong Kong terminal is still to receive an application from the other licensed Taipa terminal operator, Grand Dragon.

Based on the time taken to organise an allotment in the terminal, Mr Lau expects the company won’t be operating at the facility until late next year.

“We have heard of this company but we are still waiting for a submission including information about the type of ferries it will operate and the proposed schedule,” he said.

“I don’t think it will be operating anytime soon, maybe August next year or later, it depends on the ferries.”
Cross-border review

However there is no guarantee Grand Dragon will be able to operate out of the Hong Kong terminal. Due to the growing demand for Macau destined ferries, the Hong Kong Marine Department will shortly begin a review of all of the so called ‘cross-border’ ferry terminals.

“This is the first time we have had another operator for many years and a third is also on the way,” said Mr Lau.

“There will be an independent officer that will study cross-border ferry terminals to see if anything can be done more efficiently,”