Starting from April 1st, prices for 6 outlying island ferry routes will be adjusted! Cheung Chau increases price by 12.8%

1、 Ferry license renewal synchronized with price adjustment officially takes effect on April 1st

The six routes involved in the fare adjustment this time are all core transportation routes for Hong Kong citizens traveling to and from the outlying islands, operated by two operators, New World First Ferry and Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry. Due to the expiration of the existing service license at the end of March, the Transport Department has approved the renewal of the licenses for the two companies for 5 years and simultaneously initiated fare adjustments after completing relevant reviews.

The new fare plan is scheduled to be officially implemented from April 1st, taking into account the operating cost pressures of ferry companies in terms of fuel, labor, maintenance, etc., as well as the burden of daily commuting for citizens and tourist travel, ultimately forming a differentiated arrangement with both increases and decreases.

2、 Cheung Chau route price hike surged by 12.8%

In this price adjustment, the Cheung Chau route has become the route with the largest increase in fare, with a one-way fare increase of 12.8%, which has a direct impact on residents, office workers, and high-frequency tourists who travel between Central and Cheung Chau for a long time.

Not only Cheung Chau, but also other outlying island routes have been affected by the simultaneous increase in ticket prices. In recent years, factors such as fluctuations in fuel prices, rising salaries for shipping personnel, and increased maintenance costs for ships have continued to squeeze operational space, which are the main reasons for multiple routes applying for price increases. After the review, the Transport Department has imposed restrictions on the increase in price to avoid excessive increases affecting people's daily travel.

3、 Unified fast and slow ferry fares in Mui Wo and Peng Chau achieve disguised price reductions

In contrast to the price increases on routes such as Cheung Chau, the Mui Wo and Peng Chau routes have achieved disguised price reductions in this adjustment.

According to the new arrangement, the existing tiered ticket prices for regular and express ships will be cancelled, and a single ticket price will be implemented uniformly. After integration, citizens no longer have to worry about choosing a ship type, and the overall travel cost has not increased but decreased. While improving navigation efficiency, it has effectively reduced the burden on passengers and become a beneficial arrangement in this fare adjustment.