rkkwan

Star Ferry will move its Central pier on Hong Kong Island in mid-July. The new pier is to the north of the current one, further into the harbor.

They announced that the top floor and ground concourse can be visited by non-passengers, with shops and cafes and stuff like that. I guess the extra revenue from those business will offset the 7-13% passenger drop they're forecasting.

They also say they may have to raise fares in the future.

Peteralan

rkkwan, is that near the area that the Macau ferry goes from?

rkkwan

No, it's almost directly to the north of the current pier. Walk past ifc, walk past the bus terminus, and then turn east a little.

Cicerone

They have been building the new pier for some time. It actually looks kind of charming, they have put in a clock tower that looks quite similar to the old one and almost matches the one on the Kowloon side. It will be a longer walk from Central out to it, and I believe they are going to tear down the existing pier to make a walkway out to it. I think a July opening may be a bit optmistic, but who knows. Since the current fare is about US.50 cents for first class as has been for as long as I can remember (20 years) I think an increase is overdue....

rkkwan

Cicerone can probably confirm this, but I believe they're building an elevated, covered walkway all the way from the Central Post Office out to the new pier. Won't be ready when the move occurs, but will help in the future.

The bigger problem for Star Ferry is the relocation of the bus terminus on the Tsimshatsui side. Right now, a lot of people commute by taking a KMB bus to the TST Star Ferry and then connect. When that's no longer convenient, you'll see a much bigger drop of passenger load on the Star Ferry.

One day, the Star Ferry will be run like the Peak Tram - as a tourist attraction only. When that happens, it'll cost HK$20 one-way, not HK$1.7 or HK$2.2.

carylspall

That is such a shame. Going to be in Hong Kong next March for 2 days before joining cruise ship so I'm glad I've read this so it wont be such a shock!

rkkwan

Why is it a shame for a tourist? Yes, the trip is a little shorter, but the new pier is a lot nicer and have shops, cafes, etc.

The fare is still the same, so are the ferries and crew.

Right now, it's just a slight inconvenience for locals who use it as a basic means of transportation to Central. But others have deal with it. All the outlying island ferries - to Mui Wo, Cheung Chau, Lamma, Discovery Bay - are right next door. In fact, for those who live on the islands and need to go to Tsimshatsui, it's beneficial to them.

Now, if you want to argue the merit of continuing to "reclaim" land in the harbor, that's a different matter, and I too think it's a shame.

carylspall

That is exactly why I think its a shame rkkwan. More shops! Who needs them!