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Wheels of change push costly trams into a high-tech future

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THE traditional Hongkong trams, which have trundled along their Island lines for almost 70 years, are to be replaced by high-tech steel vehicles to save on maintenance costs.

And Hongkong Tramways will ask to raise tram fares by 20 per cent to $1.20 in a bid to cover costs.

Hongkong Tramways' director and general manager, Mr Ian Hamilton, said the company's 162 wood-panelled trams had a service life of five years each and were particularly expensive to maintain, costing about $324 million a year.

The company planned to gradually replace the fleet with steel trams that would be three times more durable, he said.

The tram's ''shoebox'' design has been in use since 1925 when the first fully enclosed double-decker tramcar with permanent roof was built at the Causeway Bay depot.

The new vehicles would be of similar size and capacity due to restrictions in the track alignment.

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