The new ferry for the Central-Hung Hom service waits at Central Pier 8 as last-minute renovations are completed

Sunday morning will see the long-awaited resumption of the Central-Hung Hom ferry service, with new facilities at Hung Hom (South) Ferry Pier and Central Pier No. 8 (Western Berth).

Under the new service, ferries will depart every 20 minutes during the morning peak (7.30-8.30am Monday to Saturday) and every 30-50 minutes after 8.30am. On Sundays and public holidays the service is reduced to once every 40-50 minutes. The fare is HK$9 for adults. Bikes are carried for an additional HK$14 per bicycle.

The government says the new service will feature “smart city” innovations, including real-time arrival/departure information of ferry routes via mobile phone applications and the opening up of such data in a machine-readable format for use by the public via the data.gov.hk portal within six months of the ferry service starting.

Fortune Ferry Company won the contract to provide the route in conjunction with its proposed “Water Taxi” service, which will ultimately ply five stops along Victoria Harbour. That scheme was criticised last month by District Councillor Paul Zimmerman for being too expensive and infrequent.

In preparation for the maiden voyage, Fortune has decked out the two piers with new facilities, including including free Wi-Fi, passenger seats, electronic display panels, a public announcement system, turnstiles, fans and luggage storage. It says it will explore new ideas such as the installation of solar panels for lighting external walls, and LED lighting to beautify the exterior of the pier.