Support the Star Ferry

The Star Ferry wants to increase the fares on its routes from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central and Wan Chai.

It's asking for only 30 cents more during weekdays and 80 cents extra on weekends, yet a so-called civic group is worried that other transport companies will piggyback on the idea and ask for the same pricing structure.

Talk about missing the big picture. Even if the small hike is approved the Star Ferry expects losses in the next fiscal year, a result of having its famous Central ferry terminal obliterated so the government could fill in more of Victoria Harbour (for the benefit of road traffic, which we need less of, not more); the new Central terminal is a 10-minute walk from its old spot and as such passenger numbers have dropped. Government ineptitude is the impetus for this request; turning it down would be one more step toward killing the company altogether.

Therefore I support an increase and will be happy to pay it. The Star Ferry still would be the cheapest way to cross the harbour, and its entertainment value alone makes a 30-cent fare bump (we're talking about 4 cents US here) more than tolerable. Should other transport companies get greedy and request a similar concession, they can and should be told to get bent.

Other than the trams on Hong Kong Island, the Star Ferry is an institution of inestimable value and needs protection, lest it go the way of the dodo.

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