WE refer to the letter from a Lamma resident (''Name and Address Supplied'', South China Morning Post, February 25) asking if we launched an anti-smoking campaign at the expense of delaying the 7.45 am ferry service on February 22. The anti-smoking campaign and ferry delay are two separate issues. We had no intention of holding up the ferry for the sake of promoting the no-smoking message to passengers. The delay on February 22 was caused by some late-arriving passengers and the new ticketing process. As our staff were still on the learning curve in the computerised ticketing system installed at Lamma pier at the end of February, there was a little delay in the ticketing process. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Remedial action has been taken. Now electronic turnstiles are also used in addition to the two computerised ticketing turnstiles to speed up passenger flow during morning peak hours. To remind passengers to be punctual, the alarm bell is sounded out fiveminutes ahead of the scheduled 7.45 am departure time. In fact our ferry is berthed at Lamma pier as early as 7.30 am, so we urge passengers to board a little earlier to avoid delay. Another reader Mr Jonathan Wall claimed that he witnessed no enforcer on illegal gambling on board the 7.45 am ferry from Cheung Chau to Central on the first day of the anti-smoking campaign (Post, February 26). Under the Gambling Ordinance, playing cards without money transactions may not contravene the law. Chapter 148 of the ordinance defines illegal gambling. Unless Mr Wall can provide evidence that what he claimed ''illegal'' gambling involved a money transaction, we cannot accept his claim that we were not enforcing the no-gambling laws. In fact our company did initiate action in this respect where a passenger was prosecuted for the offence of illegal gambling on board. Unfortunately, we could not get a conviction from the court. Asking passengers to exercise self-discipline is not easy. We experienced unco-operative and rude passengers even during the anti-smoking campaign. One was a male expatriate travelling to Yung Shue Wan. He behaved rudely to our staff and the students when he was reminded not to smoke. The incidence was also witnessed by a Post reporter and was reported in the Post on February 24. The other was a young female expatriate travelling on the Lantau Island route on February 27. She was furious at our request to stop smoking and threw the cigarette into the sea. Our staff warned her of her acts. We tried to enforce the law in a friendly way, but should this fail to convince unco-operative and obstinate passengers to comply with the rules, we have no alternative but to resort to prosecution. The police and Marine Department are understood to be fully supportive of our action. CECILIA Y. K. KO Corporate Communications Manager Hongkong Ferry Company
