I and other residents of the Gold Coast, near Tuen Mun, agree with the views expressed by previous correspondents on the need to improve the 962 Citybus service from Tuen Mun to Causeway Bay. Buses must run more frequently, so that passengers are not forced to stand for the journey which takes up to an hour. I note the comments from Citybus (letter, South China Morning Post, January 27) that the issue of passengers being seated is apparently not important to the company, but it does matter to the elderly, young children and pregnant women. Nor is this the only problem as I and other residents (particularly at peak periods) either have to watch as buses go sailing by Gold Coast or, out of desperation, stand well forward of the yellow line on overloaded buses. We cannot choose to take the ferry instead of the bus, as the ferry service between Central and Gold Coast was terminated by the developer, Sino Land, without prior notice. Many people moved to Gold Coast because of the ferry, which Sino used as a major selling point for the development, and some are not willing to stay without it. The loss of the ferry has also significantly reduced the number of weekend visitors, an important source of revenue for the small businesses located in the Gold Coast shopping mall. A number of them have closed down since the ferry stopped running. Sino says it is too expensive to operate the ferry service, but if residents continue to move out and businesses close down the long-term cost will be far greater, both to Sino and to Gold Coast home owners who will see the value of their flats go down. As chairman of the Hong Kong Gold Coast Tenants Association I have discussed the issue of the withdrawal of the ferries with senior Sino management on a number of occasions and they are adamant that the ferries are gone for good. I urge Sino to reconsider this decision and bring back the ferry service which is a key element in maintaining Gold Coast as a thriving community. The ferry is far more suited to families with small children, particularly those in pushchairs (of which there are many at Gold Coast) and the elderly. Passengers were seated well before the ferry pulled away from the pier, as opposed to the 962, where the drivers begin pulling away from the bus stop as the last passenger gets through the door, throwing those not seated or with a firm grip to the floor. PHIL OATES Chairman Hong Kong Gold Coast Tenants Association
