Legislator Starry Lee Wai-king has lashed out at Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung for “doing a very poor job” in transport planning at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.
In a Legislative Council economic development panel meeting yesterday, Lee made a rare attack on officials in saying Yeung’s performance in planning the transport connectivity in the vicinity of the cruise terminal resulted in travelers waiting for over 30 minutes for a cab to visit other places in August.
“You have been doing a very poor job in planning the transport facilities of the cruise terminal since you took office, and I am extremely disappointed in you,” she told Yeung.
Lee, the SAR’s single delegate on the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, said Kai Tak has beautiful scenery, but the terminal has poor business due to a lack of transport facilities.
Many stores at the cruise terminal have closed, she added.
Lee urged the Transport Department to improve arrangements at Kai Tak as soon as possible.
“The authorities should try to encourage local residents to visit Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, which is a great place with space and facilities,” Lee said. “No one is going there now as there are only four bus routes connecting to Kai Tak, and I don’t know how to go there.”
Only one bus route, Citybus 22X, connects the terminal with the nearby residential area, she added. And that runs every half-hour during non-peak hours, causing long queues.
Industrial sector legislator Jimmy Ng Wing-ka also said the transport connectivity saga in August caused shops in the terminal to close. Many foreigners have a negative impression of the transport arrangements in the cruise terminal and refer to it as a “ghost town,” he added.
“I had a meal with relatives returning from the United States, and the first thing they said was: ‘What is going on at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal? I also went on a cruise trip in Singapore and their terminal was not like this’.”
He said transport arrangements at the terminal have in fact improved, but the SAR administration had to enhance promotions to change foreigners’ impressions and restore confidence in Hong Kong.
He also suggested authorities ask travelers about their transport preferences in advance and arrange for a certain number of buses and taxis to pick them up.
In response, Yeung said he understood the legislators’ concerns and said authorities have improved transport facilities at the terminal.
The administration has also required the terminal operator, cruise companies and transport operators to submit boarding and disembarking plans for each ship berthing there.
Tourists have been satisfied with the facilities at the terminal lately, even during bad weather, Yeung said.
But he said it an be difficult to send a certain number of vehicles to collect passengers. “Tourists may change their minds easily because Hong Kong is a very convenient city and it’s hard to cater to their every need,” Yeung said.
The administration will announce a Kai Tak action plan early next year, including how to utilize land near the terminal.
wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com
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