Plan to cut off-peak ferry services between Hong Kong Island and Ma Wan raises hackles among Park Island residents
Transport operator cites HK$600 million in losses and low passenger numbers, but proposal is rejected by owners committee
A plan to reduce ferry services during non-peak hours between Hong Kong Island and Ma Wan, on which the sprawling Park Island residential development is built, has sparked unhappiness among residents.
The proposal by Park Island Transport Company Limited (PITCL) was rejected by its owners committee last week, the firm said, although it can still apply to the Transport Department if it intends to press on with the plan.
The island’s main public transport operator said ferry services were vastly underutilised during non-peak hours and that it had lost about HK$600 million (US$76.5 million) over the past 16 years due to rising costs and “uneven usage of marine and land transportation services”. Flats at Park Island were completed in phases starting from 2002.
“The current demand for land transport is higher than [for] ferry services, with a ratio of 85:15 between passenger count taking buses to taking the ferry,” PITCL said in response to inquiries from the Post.
“The demand for ferry services is even lower during the non-peak hours of 10am to 3.30pm, with an average of 58 passengers per trip from Ma Wan to Central and a recorded low of eight passengers.”
