- Authorities are vetting applications by three major ferry operators to raise ticket prices by between 22.2 per cent and 100 per cent
- Chair of Legco’s transport panel says proposed fare rises could be hard for public to accept, but acknowledges difficulties facing ferry operators following pandemic
Will ferry commuters in Hong Kong become the latest group to be affected by cost of living increases? Photo: Getty ImagesHongkongers taking ferries from the outlying islands of Lamma and Peng Chau to Hong Kong Island may be the latest group hit with a cost of living increase if fare rise applications are approved by the government.
Authorities are vetting applications by three major ferry operators to raise ticket prices by between 22.2 per cent and 100 per cent, according to information the Transport Department supplied to lawmakers for a special Legislative Council Finance Committee session scheduled for Friday.
The department only said the applications were “being processed” and it would play the “gatekeeper role”.
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The cost of living in Hong Kong has continued to climb, with residents already contending with a host of hikes in everything from food prices to electricity rates and looming increases for other transport fares too.
“As public transport services are closely related to people’s livelihoods, the government will handle fare increase applications in a prudent manner as we have always been, taking into account the operators’ financial situation and prospects, public acceptability and affordability … and continue to play our gatekeeper role,” the department said in a written reply to lawmaker Ben Chan Han-pan’s question.
Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry is seeking to double fares for journeys between Peng Chau and Central, Central to Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma Island.
Currently, the weekday adult fare for a trip on a regular ferry between Central and Peng Chau is HK$16.6, while the price for trips on the fast ferry is HK$31. The company charges adults HK$18.6 for journeys from Central to Yung Shue Wan and HK$23.1 for the trip to Sok Kwu Wan, Monday to Saturday.
The company’s last fare rises were in 2021.
Fortune Ferry Company also applied to increase fares for its North Point-Kwun Tong-Kai Tak and Central-Hung Hom services by 28.6 per cent and 22.2 per cent, respectively.
The company currently charges HK$7 for an adult ticket for its North Point-Kwun Tong-Kai Tak service and HK$9 for its Central-Hung Hom service.
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Meanwhile, Sun Ferry Services submitted an application to raise fares by 45 per cent for trips between Central and Cheung Chau, Central and Lantau’s Mui Wo, as well as inter-island routes.
The application also covered a 45 per cent increase in fares for the company’s routes between North Point and Hung Hom, as well as North Point and Kowloon City.
Following the last price increase in 2021, the ferry operator charges a standard adult fare of HK$14.2 and HK$22.3 for deluxe class for travel between Central and Cheung Chau from Monday to Saturday, while charging HK$21.2 and HK$32.5, respectively, on Sundays and public holidays.
The company also operates a fast ferry service, charging HK$28.1 from Monday to Saturday and HK$40.7 on Sundays and public holidays.
For those travelling between Central and Mui Wo, the standard adult fare is HK$16.6 and deluxe costs HK$27.5 from Monday to Saturday. Prices on Sundays and public holidays are HK$24.6 and HK$40.3, respectively.
Fast ferry services for the route cost HK$32.8 from Monday to Saturday and HK$47.1 on Sundays and public holidays.
Replying to a separate query from lawmaker Kingsley Wong Kwok, the department said authorities had introduced measures to reduce the operating costs for ferry services, such as reimbursing pier rental charges, exempting vessel licence fees, and allowing operators to sublet premises at piers.
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Legislator Chan, who also chairs Legco’s transport panel, said the prospect of fare increases of much as 100 per cent was unreasonable and would be hard for the public to accept.
However, the panel chairman acknowledged the difficulties faced by ferry operators, including rising fuel prices and a sharp drop in foreign visitors during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I hope the government can provide more non-farebox revenues to lower their dependences on fares,” Chan said, with his suggestions covering rental payments for pier structures.
The lawmaker added that he hoped authorities would handle the applications in a pragmatic manner.
Quentin Cheng Hin-kei, a spokesman for commuter concern group Public Transport Research Team, said the proposed fare rises were too high and needed to align closely with the rate of inflation.
He advised authorities to provide more financial support to ferry operators to help alleviate difficulties brought about by the current economic climate.
Cheng also pointed to the inadequate public transport connecting existing piers as another problem for ferry operators, urging the government to focus on helping make the sites more accessible.
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Last week, Star Ferry increased fares by up to 56 per cent for services between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, with the price of an upper deck seat for adults on weekdays rising to HK$5 from the previous HK$3.2.
The cost of weekend journeys also increased to HK$6.5 from HK$4.2, while free trips for elderly residents and those with disabilities were replaced with a HK$2 concession rate.
Star Ferry had originally sought to double the fare, having already successfully applied for an increase in 2021, but authorities opted for a smaller rise instead.
The government attributed their decision to factors such as the company’s financial position, forecasted changes in operating costs, revenue and return, as well as past performance.