Tuen Mun Ferries To Macau Still No Go
Written on November 23, 2006 by admin
Despite all the changes in Macau, it seems that Dr. Stanley Ho is has a powerful say on what happens there. This ferry issue now is becoming a touchy one as the Hong Kong government has been pushing this service for years. This Shun Tak monopoly is a bit of a strange argument as it will after all send more visitors to Stanley Ho’s casinos.
Courtesy The Standard | Legislators are pressing the SAR government to find out why a Hong Kong ferry company is being refused docking rights in Macau.A Legislative Council sub-committee took up the issue Tuesday after Hong Kong North West Express said it has run into difficulties in talks to secure docking rights.
The company planned to start a twice-hourly service from Tuen Mun to Macau in September this year, but the plan is in abeyance pending approval by Macau authorities.
Alan Liu Ho-yee, general manager of Hong Kong North West Express - sole operator of the Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal - revealed that Macau has refused to give the green light after two of North West’s vessels were commissioned to operate the service and its terminal was completed.
The terminal was built to enable New Territories residents to travel to Macau without having to go all the way to terminals in Tsim Sha Tsui or Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island where ferry services to Macau are operated solely by Stanley Ho Hung-sun’s Shun Tak group.
“We’re still in the process of negotiating with the Macau government for docking rights,” said Liu, adding his company is also trying to secure docking rights at Shekou, which lies west of Shenzhen.
The Macau government declined to comment on the issue Tuesday.
Lawmaker Miriam Lau Kin-yee of the pro-business Liberal Party, who represents the transport functional constituency, said the Hong Kong government must come up with “legitimate reasons” as to why Macau has refused Hong Kong North West Express docking rights.
She said the delay in the launching of the Tuen Mun ferry service to Macau has greatly disappointed New Territories residents who had waited for it for a long time.
“The Hong Kong government should pursue the matter to obtain the right of service [for Hong Kong North West Express],” Lau said.
She said it was the government’s responsibility to provide proper transport services and infrastructure for residents.
But Deputy Secretary for Environment, Transport and Works Annie Choi Suk-han said it was Hong Kong North West Express’ responsibility to sort out docking rights.
Shun Tak group’s Stanley Ho is rumored to be strongly opposed to North West being given docking rights in Macau because the Northwest ferry service would challenge his ferry monopoly.
Since the Tuen Mun terminal came into operation earlier this month, North West Express has run a two-vessel ferry service to Zhuhai, on Macau’s doorstep. The service to Zhuhai operates almost 10 hours daily, carrying more than 600 commuters an hour.
“Despite the obstacles we’ve encountered, we’re not giving up hope and we’re trying extremely hard to get a direct route to Macau,” North West’s Liu said.
Technorati Tags: macau, Stanley Ho
If you enjoyed this post you might want to subscribe to our RSS Feed!
- 
- 
- 
- 
Take a look to these similar posts!
