The Hong Kong government has announced that a special bus route 22R will provide a free service between the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT) and Kai Tak MTR Station from today (August 9).
This is one of various measures to be implemented from tomorrow to enhance the terminal's transport connectivity when cruise ships are berthed there.
Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing chaired an inter-departmental meeting today to discuss the improvement measures so as to address the transport connectivity issues during the berthing of cruise ships at the KTCT.
Representatives of the Culture, Sports & Tourism and the Transport & Logistics bureaus, the Tourism Commission, the Transport Department, the Tourism Board and the KTCT operator attended the meeting.
For special bus route 22R, the service from the KTCT to Kai Tak MTR Station will operate from 9.15 am to 11.45 am, while the service from Kai Tak MTR Station to the KTCT will operate from 3 pm to 5.30 pm. The service tomorrow will be able to accommodate around 2,100 passenger trips.
In addition, three free shuttle bus routes will be introduced to connect the cruise terminal with popular tourist destinations, including the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier, West Kowloon Cultural District and Kowloon MTR Station; Admiralty MTR Station and Peak Tram Lower Terminus; and Yim Po Fong Street in Mong Kok. The shuttle bus service tomorrow will be able to handle about 500 passenger trips.
The KTCT operator will, through the instant messaging platform set up with the taxi trade, broadcast information more frequently, including the progress of passenger disembarkation and the real-time waiting situation.
The Tourism Commission and the Transport Department will also closely monitor the demand and supply of taxis through the same platform.
To enhance taxi services at the cruise terminal, the KTCT operator will distribute a $50 liquefied petroleum gas cash coupon to each taxi picking up passengers during disembarkation periods of cruise ships.
When the demand of taxis by passengers is more or less addressed, the KTCT operator will announce, through the above-mentioned instant messaging platform, 10 minutes in advance the cut-off time for distributing the cash coupons, so as to avoid taxis from making wasted trips.
That being said, coupons will still be distributed to taxis arriving at the KTCT before the cut-off time even if they do not pick up any passengers.
The KTCT operator will disseminate through cruise lines the additional bus service and a guide on installing the Octopus App to cruise passengers in advance, for convenient transportation and payment.
The Tourism Commission has also communicated with cruise lines and emphasized the importance of arranging staggered disembarkation for passengers.
Additionally, to cater for any emergency situations, an emergency mechanism had been formulated at the meeting to facilitate cruise passengers to leave or travel to the KTCT smoothly.
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