WHEN I heard about the proposed increase in fares by the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company, it made me very angry, especially when I thought about the plight of Tuen Mun residents. I moved there in August of last year and thought that the direct ferry service between Central and Tuen Mun Pier which under ''normal'' circumstances was supposed to take about 35 to 45 minutes, would solve my transportation problems. I was wrong. Every morning at Tuen Mun Pier, there are long queues. However, the situation is even worse in the evening at Blake Pier, in Central, when Tuen Mun residents are returning home from work. The frequency of the ferry is inadequate; it does not meet the demand. There are hundreds of people in the queue and they each have wait around 30 to 45 minutes before they can get on the hoverferry. In spite of these long queues the Hongkong Ferry Company refuses, even during peak hours, to waver from its policy of only having ferries at 15-minute intervals, even though it charges ''peak-hour fares''. It is even more irritating when you see the large air-conditioned double-deck ferry berthed at Blake Pier at 6.05 pm and 6.30 pm. It can take many more people than the hoverferry but the journey takes about one hour. As not all residents are patient enough to travel for one hour, these ferries leave for Tuen Mun far from full and while they are berthed at Blake Pier, the hoverferry service has to be halted. Sometimes a hoverferry will arrive, let all the passengers disembark and instead of taking on more passengers will leave the pier and wait in the harbour, to let the large ferries come in. Consequently, the queue around this time lengthens. Clearly, this is not an efficient ferry service and I am sure that the company could help to alleviate the congestion with more efficient organisation. Even now fares are not low and it is totally unjustifiable of Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company to propose raising fares, if it is not going to improve the service. PAUL WONG Tuen Mun
