Improved boarding facilities
WE REFER to a letter from one of your correspondents, which appeared in the South China Morning Post, on May 12, concerning the new Central Pier No 1.
The relocation of the Lamma Island ferry services to the new Central Pier No 1 is to facilitate the Central Reclamation Project Phase I.
Since there are insufficient berthing places at the new Central Piers No 6 and 7, to cater for all our ferry services for the new towns and the Outlying Islands, the Government has arranged for the Lamma Island ferry services to berth at Government Pier No 1, with the use of a government pontoon.
To enable the loading of goods by trolleys onto the ferries, a cargo ramp has been installed on the pontoon.
However, the sea conditions fluctuate frequently which may affect the stability of the pontoon.
As a result, some elderly passengers and those with trolleys may have difficulty in boarding or alighting the ferries, especially when the sea conditions are rough.
To further improve the boarding facilities and ensure the safety of passengers, a passenger boarding ramp has been installed at the middle part of the pontoon.
Passengers can board and alight the vessel more easily as the present ramp is more stable than the former one.
Nevertheless, our company will continue to monitor the condition of the pontoon closely and provide full assistance to passengers by our staff.
Meanwhile, we hope that passengers can be more tolerant and we welcome any further constructive suggestions by passengers.
JENNE SENG Corporate Communications Manager Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Co Ltd
