Touts charge four times the price for Macau ferry tickets

Stranded passengers trying to get back from Macau after the Lunar New Year holiday were targeted by touts selling tickets for up to four times the face value.

The touting peaked yesterday morning after about 300 Hong Kong residents had camped out overnight to try to catch packed ferries home.

Some paid up to $800 to touts, known locally as 'yellow cows'.

One stranded passenger, Mr Tse, said he had bought his ticket from touts who were charging between $400 and $1,000 for economy class.

'The ticket for 6.30am was $600. Some were sold for $800 in entertainment complexes and the casino,' he said.

A source in Macau said he knew of about two dozen teenage 'yellow cows' selling tickets for between $400 and $800 each, mostly to SAR residents.

'Hong Kong people like to flash their money around and have no patience. Even just 30 minutes standby is too much for them,' he said.