I say the raise the price:
1. Service: We have ferrymen that are second to none in HK -- people who know you buy name, entertain your children and even call out your name from their outboard loudspeaker etc.. / wake you up for your destination if needed in a polite manner (have you been a on UK late train?)
2. The flat rate for Lamma to Central is $23.60 RETURN for a daily commute of a total of 1 hour 10 minutes (to PK via YSW) on HKKF vessels, infrastructure, staff and service included . That is 1 pound and 51 pence, or US$3.06 PER DAY (A$3.27). That is cheap in any 'world city' for an hour of anyone's service.
3. A 35% increase would be an extra HK$8 (return) per day. Don't buy that beer or smelly foods to eat on board in the evening and forgoe that
SCMP in the morning and get the free
Standard if HK$8 is going to break the budget.
4. Oil yesterday hit US$105 a barrel. In the 7 years I've been here, ferry prices have gone up all, of HK$2.20, so not not exactly in line with overall infaltion.
5. Only morning and evening ferries are rammed. Why not reduce the service to one ferry on the hour every hour between 10am and 3pm? At least you'd know what time it was going
In peak periods, (6am - 9:30am and 3pm - 8:30pm) YSW-HKG-YSW sailings should be twice hourly, and again you'd know it's either half past, or on the hour to get there. All associated infrastuctuture could work around that.
6. I see no reason for a 2am service when we have a great Sampan connection 24/7. Who takes a 2am ferry? I didn't even know there was one.
7. Why not let the new order pan out with a price increase that reflects opperating costs, consolidates revenues and streamlines services without the 'I want a ferry now' stuff.
8. Environment - less boats, more passengers per trip, higher revenue = less fuel. What is the point of continuing running gas guzzling boats on 64 journeys a day at US$105 oil price and arguing over such a measly fare increase?
It is amazing to me that a teenager today had her head completely cut off by a jilted boyfriend, or that the only group that was not included in the budget was domestic helpers, and yet a massive uproar is made about a low fare ferry fare increase and a reasonable reduction of off peak services.
Hic!
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