*****************
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Han-pan and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (November 14):
Question:
In recent years, some members of the public have proposed that the Government should vigorously develop Lantau Island so as to strengthen Hong Kong's connection and integration with the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. On the other hand, some people have repeatedly urged the Government for years to open up the SkyPier at the Hong Kong International Airport for providing cross-boundary ferry services to non-transit passengers. Although the Government had told this Council's Panel on Economic Development in 2007 that it would consider the proposal, it later indicated that a review on whether there was such a need should be conducted after the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it knows the current annual maximum passenger handling capacity and the actual patronage of the SkyPier;
(b) whether it knows the annual increase in patronage of the SkyPier since the completion of the construction of SkyPier's permanent pier; whether it has assessed if the increase in patronage is satisfactory and the reasons for that; whether the Government will conduct an in-depth study on the growth in the patronage of the pier;
(c) whether the authorities will consider afresh opening up the SkyPier for cross-boundary services so as to strengthen Hong Kong's connection with the PRD region; if they will, whether they will consider providing cross-boundary ferry services other than those to and from Zhuhai and Macao, so as to avoid affecting the utilisation of HZMB upon its completion; and
(d) whether the authorities will consider expeditiously conducting a comprehensive review on the development plan of Lantau Island, so as to ensure that the development of Hong Kong's south-western areas will tie in with the rapid development of the PRD region?
Reply:
President,
Located at the Restricted Area of the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), the SkyPier provides convenient and speedy ferry services for air-to-sea/sea-to-air transit passengers travelling between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD)/Macao. Transit passengers via SkyPier with a valid air ticket or counterfoil of the boarding pass, a valid ferry ticket and a valid travel document can, without going through immigration procedures at the airport, board departing flight to other destinations or take a ferry at the SkyPier to the PRD or Macao. The Airport Authority (AA) must operate the SkyPier in accordance with the Deed of Security signed with the Administration in order to meet the security requirements for transit passengers and baggage.
(a) Based on AA's information, the four berths at the SkyPier can currently cope with a maximum of about 4 million transit passengers every year. In 2011, the transit passenger throughput of SkyPier was about 2.39 million.
(b) The SkyPier commissioned in January 2010. In 2011, the transit passenger throughput was 2.39 million, representing an increase of 6.7% over 2010 which was about 2.24 million. In the first nine months of 2012, the passenger throughput was 1.98 million, representing an increase of 10% over the same period last year.
There has been a steady growth in the transit passenger throughput of SkyPier. Its growth rates in recent years exceeded those of the overall passenger throughput of the HKIA (see the table below), mainly due to the persistent increase in the number of visitors from the Mainland and Southeast Asia in recent years.
Transit passenger Passenger
throughput of SkyPier throughput of HKIA
(million passengers) (million passengers)
-------------------------------------------------
2010 2.24 50.92
2011 2.39 (+6.7%) 53.90 (+5.9%)
2012 1.98 (+10%) 42.25 (+5.1%)
(as at
September)
(c) The land transport link between Hong Kong and the PRD region, particularly cities in the eastern part, has been well developed. Regarding sea transport, the two cross-boundary ferry terminals (CBFTs) currently managed by the Government (i.e. Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and China Ferry Terminal) provide cross-boundary ferry services to and from 11 PRD ports and Macao. The daily maximum handling capacities of the above two CBFTs add up to about 290,000. In 2011, the total peak daily patronage of the two terminals was only 130,000. It is expected that the two terminals will have sufficient capacity to meet the projected increase in patronage before the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) in 2016. As such, we consider it not necessary to plan the third government-managed CBFT at this stage.
We also do not see the need to expand the function of the SkyPier. As indicated by the statistics for the first three quarters of 2012, the average daily patronage of cross-boundary ferries was about 69,000, of which the services other than those between Hong Kong and Zhuhai/Macao only accounted for about 12.3%, i.e. around 8,500 passengers per day. Compared with the two CBFTs located in the city centre, the SkyPier is relatively far away from the urban area, making it not convenient for most residents in Hong Kong. As for inbound tourists, most of them will go sightseeing and shopping on the Hong Kong and Kowloon side apart from visiting scenic spots in Lantau. Therefore, the Government considers that the proposed provision of a CBFT at the SkyPier has limited effect on boosting visitor number from the Mainland and Macao, and that the patronage may not be sufficient to support the efficacy of the operation of the pier.
Furthermore, the main purpose of providing SkyPier service at HKIA is to provide speedy ferry services for air transit passengers travelling to and from the PRD and Macao. The existing SkyPier is located within the Airport Restricted Area where customs, immigration and quarantine facilities are not provided. If the SkyPier is to open for use by non-transit passengers, it would require expansion to fit in the necessary facilities and increase the handling capacity of the pier. As the relevant works would incur substantial capital investment and manpower requirement, it is not cost-effective based on the current situation.
In view of the above, together with a further cross-boundary option to be provided by the HZMB in 2016 for travelling between Hong Kong and Macao as well as Hong Kong and cities on the western part of the Pearl River, we do not have plan to consider the opening the SkyPier for general immigration purposes.
(d) To fully capture the opportunities arising from the rapid development of the PRD region, the Government will enhance our transport link with the region to promote the overall development of Hong Kong.
Published by the Administration in 2007, the Revised Concept Plan for Lantau sets out the overall planning framework for a balanced and coordinated development of the island. According to the framework, North Lantau will focus on the development of major economic infrastructure and tourism uses to optimise the utilisation of the transport infrastructure. The rest of Lantau will be designated for nature conservation and environmentally sustainable recreational uses.
The Planning Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department launched the Tung Chung New Town Extension Study in January 2012 to identify the development potential and opportunities of Tung Chung. With a view to formulating a suitable proposal for Tung Chung New Town extension, the major infrastructure projects in the adjacent areas of Tung Chung, the need for environmental protection and nature conservation in the surrounding as well as the comments from and vision of the public for Tung Chung development will be taken into consideration. The first stage of public engagement for the Study ended in August this year and about 2,300 public views have been received. The Administration is analysing the views for the preparation of an initial development proposal. The second stage of public engagement is expected to commence next year.
Ends/Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:00
NNNN
