What do you think of the Discovery Bay ferry proposal?
By now I hope Victor Cha Mou-zing, managing director of HKR International, will realise that Discovery Bay residents are shocked and angry at his company's proposals to drastically raise the fare for the ferry to Central and/or slash the number of sailings.
This is a cruel blow to many families who have committed themselves to the resort community Mr Cha and his father have spent decades building up. The success story of Discovery Bay is based on breadwinners being able to get to Central easily while their families can escape the crowds, pollution and dense living conditions of the city.
Many residents will find the proposed steep fares increase will push stretched family budgets beyond breaking point. One lady at the 'sharing session' HKRI held on October 17, said four members of her family used the ferry on a daily basis. That family would have to fork out a staggering HK$6,992 a month if the fare is raised to HK$38 one way under one of the four equally unacceptable proposals HKRI is foisting on us.
Beyond that, thousands of Discovery Bay residents who trusted HKRI and bought property here feel trapped. They may have to move out because they can't afford the fares or worry they won't be able to reliably get to work on time, but there will be no buyers for their property as potential newcomers will also be deterred by infrequent and expensive links to Central.
If the fare rise and service cuts are pushed through there will be a mass exodus resulting in falling property prices, lower patronage of shops, restaurants and clubs, less management fees collected and lower ridership of buses and of course ferries.