A number of ferry routes are applying for a fare increase. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry’s three outlying island routes, namely the Central to Peng Chau, Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan, have applied for double the fare increase; First Ferry’s Central to Cheung Chau and Mui Wo routes, and North Point to Hung Hom and Kowloon City routes, apply for a 45% fare increase.
The Transport and Logistics Bureau also revealed in its reply to the questions of members of the Legislative Council’s Special Finance Committee that Fuyu Ferry’s route between Central and Hung Hom has applied for a 22.2% fare increase, and the route between North Point, Kwun Tong and Kai Tak has also applied for a 28.6% fare increase.
The bureau stated that the government will, as in the past, handle the fare increase application with a prudent attitude, considering factors including the operator’s revenue and expenditure financial situation and prospects, public acceptance and affordability, etc., and will continue to do a good job in gatekeeping.
First Ferry replied that the proposed fare increase was mainly due to rising operating costs, among which fuel prices continued to be high, which has more than doubled the price of fuel when applying for a license two years ago.
