The Transport Department has proposed merging two ferry routes from Central to Peng Chau and Mui Wo in a move it says will avert fare increases by the operator, which has been hit by dwindling passenger numbers.
If the move goes ahead, residents of the two island communities will lose their exclusive services in off-peak hours, when the ferries to Mui Wo would run via Peng Chau.
New World First Ferry would also be allowed to increase journey times to Mui Wo.
'Passenger levels are too low. We hope to ease the operating costs for ferry operators through this arrangement,' said Carol Cheung Lin-yung, chief transport officer for ferries.
In a special meeting with islands district councillors yesterday, transport officials proposed the merger of services between Central and both Mui Wo and Peng Chau during off-peak hours.
Under the department's proposal, frequency of service would decrease from every 40 or 45 minutes to one service an hour.
The travel time from Mui Wo to Central would also increase from the present 31 minutes for fast ferries to 46 minutes, and from 48 to 63 minutes for slow ferries.
