An international company is interested in running a water taxi service in Victoria Harbour, despite grim business prospects for local ferries, the head of the harbour watchdog has revealed.
The government and the Harbourfront Commission are determined to increase the vibrancy of the waterfront, but have expressed doubts about the feasibility of a water taxi, which would probably run parallel to the shore rather than across the harbour.
Commission chairman Nicholas Brooke said the undisclosed company - which has had success with similar ventures in New York, Sydney and Vancouver - had approached him with the idea.
'It could be a vessel with a capacity of about 50 passengers, serving both tourists and commuters,' he said. 'People can hop on and hop off from Tai Koo to North Point, Quarry Bay, Wan Chai, Central and even the [West Kowloon] arts hub. Like an MTR on water.'
The idea of running water taxis off Kowloon and Hong Kong Island has been on the agenda in recent years due to a series of waterfront development projects, such as the arts hub and the Island East harbourfront improvement plan - spanning from North Point to Shau Kei Wan.
Water taxis were featured in British architect Norman Foster's design for West Kowloon, while a Planning Department study released last month suggested they were a way to enhance the attractiveness of the Island East project.
