'The two-decker ferries shake all the time and make me nauseous,' Ho-yeung said, while the old three-decker ones were more stable and comfortable.

Community spokeswoman Cecilia Yeung Man-ching said parents were worried their children might have to leave home hours earlier this morning as school began after the holiday.

'If they miss the early ferries, they have to pay extra to get on the fast ferries or wait 90 minutes for another one,' she said.

But officials said a series of improvements had been made since the new operators took over on April 1.

Commissioner for Transport Robert Footman said extra trips had been put on during the morning peak hour from Cheung Chau and Mui Wo.

'Standby vessels have been put on to meet unforeseen demand while passengers adjust to the new timetables. The deluxe class was cancelled on Peng Chau, Central and Inter-Islands services to provide more capacity for the ordinary class.' Peng Chau residents want the fast-ferry fares to be lowered from $20 on weekdays and $30 during holidays to $15.

If prices could not be lowered, then more ordinary ferries, priced at $10 a ride, should take over, Ms Yeung said.

About 300 residents held a town hall meeting in Mui Wo demanding similar changes from the ferry company. Mui Wo is served by the same ferry models at the same prices.

Democratic Party legislator Lee Wing-tat said Peng Chau, Lantau and Cheung Chau residents would boycott the ferry services between 5pm and 7pm on Friday. But a Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Co spokeswoman rejected the criticisms.

'We don't have the luxury of a franchise which would allow us to cross-subsidise our services,' she said.

'Under our current licence, each ferry operation has become independent with its own operating costs.

'We have to take into consideration the economics of the new business environment and the service quality of our ferries.'