Public transport services to be strengthened to facilitate commute of outlying island residents amid ferry service adjustments on July 3
The Transport Department (TD) today (July 2) said that, in view of special marine transport measures and ferry service adjustments tomorrow morning (July 3), it has steered and strengthened relevant public transport services, including ferry, bus and the Tung Chung Line and Tuen Ma Line MTR services, to ease the passenger flow during peak hours. The TD urged members of the public, especially residents of outlying islands, to plan their trips in advance and allow sufficient time for commuting to work or school.
From about 7.20am to 9.50am tomorrow, a total of nine outlying island ferry service routes will be suspended gradually, namely routes operating between Central and Cheung Chau, Mui Wo, Peng Chau, Yung Shue Wan, Sok Kwu Wan, Discovery Bay and Ma Wan; between Aberdeen and Yung Shue Wan via Pak Kok Tsuen; and between Aberdeen and Sok Kwu Wan (via Mo Tat).
(1) Individual ferry route services to be strengthened in the morning
To expedite the dispersal of passengers during peak hours, ferry operators will strengthen services on individual routes tomorrow morning, including:
Central – Cheung Chau: (from Cheung Chau) one additional ordinary ferry sailing at 7am, an additional fast ferry sailing at 7.15am, and advancing the sailing at 7.45am to 7.25am;
Central – Yung Shue Wan: (from Yung Shue Wan) one additional ferry sailing at 7.10am;
Central – Peng Chau: (from Peng Chau) one additional ferry sailing at 7.10am;
Mui Wo – Discovery Bay (via Peng Chau): two additional ferry sailings from Peng Chau to Discovery Bay at 7.30am and 8am;
Aberdeen – Sok Kwu Wan (via Mo Tat): (from Sok Kwu Wan) advancing the scheduled sailings to 5.40am and 6.50am; and
Ma Wan – Central: (from Ma Wan) advancing the sailing at 8am to 7.50am.
(2) Free of charge special outlying island ferry services
In addition, the operators will provide the following free special outlying island ferry service routes tomorrow morning, comprising eight round trips. Passengers can transfer to the MTR Tuen Ma Line or other road-based transport modes at Tsuen Wan West Station, or transfer to Residents' Services at Discovery Bay to Tung Chung or Sunny Bay and other destinations:
Cheung Chau – Tsuen Wan West: departing from Cheung Chau at 7.40am and departing from Tsuen Wan West (Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier) at 8.40am;
Cheung Chau – Discovery Bay: departing from Cheung Chau at 8.15am and departing from Discovery Bay Ferry Pier at 8.55am;
Peng Chau – Tsuen Wan West: departing from Peng Chau at 8.40am and departing from Tsuen Wan West (Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier) at 9.20am;
Yung Shue Wan – Tsuen Wan West: departing from Yung Shue Wan at 8.40am and departing from Tsuen Wan West (Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier) at 9.30am;
Yung Shue Wan – Discovery Bay: departing from Yung Shue Wan at 8.30am and departing from Discovery Bay Ferry Pier at 9.10am;
Ma Wan – Tsuen Wan West: departing from Ma Wan at 8.10am and departing from Tsuen Wan West (Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier) at 8.30am; and
Discovery Bay – Tsuen Wan West: departing from Discovery Bay at 7.45am and 8.15am; and departing from Tsuen Wan West (Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier) at 8.20am and 8.50am.
(3) Bus services to be enhanced
At the same time, operators will enhance bus services in Mui Wo, Ma Wan and Discovery Bay to ease the passenger flow, including:
Enhancing service between Mui Wo Pier and Tung Chung Station (New Lantao Bus route No. 3M);
Enhancing service between Ma Wan (Tung Wan Bus Terminus) and Tsing Yi Station (Residents' Service route No. NR330);
Operating free bus service from Ma Wan to Central Ferry Pier No. 2;
Strengthening service between Discovery Bay/Discovery Bay North and Sunny Bay (Residents' Service route No. DB03R/DB03RP);
Operating special service from Discovery Bay Kaito Ferry Pier (Nim Shue Wan Landing Steps) to Sunny Bay (Residents' Service route No. DB03R special service);
Operating free bus service from Discovery Bay Kaito Ferry Pier (Nim Shue Wan Landing Steps) to Central Ferry Pier No. 3 to pick up kaito passengers from Peng Chau to Discovery Bay for urban areas; and
Operating free bus service from Discovery Bay to Central Ferry Pier No. 3 and Kowloon Station.
(4) MTR services to be enhanced
The MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) will strengthen services on the Tung Chung Line and Tuen Ma Line tomorrow. For the Tung Chung Line, special short-haul services will operate from Sunny Bay Station to Hong Kong Station around 8am during morning peak hours. Services between Hong Kong Station and Tsing Yi Station will be strengthened from around 8.30am to 9am. As for the Tuen Ma Line, spare trains will be on standby during morning peak hours, for taking passengers from Tsuen Wan West Station to Hong Kong Station via Nam Cheong Station of the Tung Chung Line if needed. The MTRCL will also deploy additional staff to busier stations to facilitate passenger flow and assist passengers.
Details of the outlying island ferry service adjustments and special public transport service arrangements (including free special ferry services) are set out in the Annex.
The TD has collaborated with the Islands District Office, the Tsuen Wan District Office, relevant District Services and Community Care Teams of Islands District and Tsuen Wan District, as well as ferry and road-based public transport operators over the past few days to enhance information dissemination through websites, mobile applications, notices at piers and onboard as well as district networks to inform passengers on the above arrangements.
The TD's Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will operate round the clock to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services across the territory including districts concerned. Members of the public, especially residents of outlying islands, are urged to pay heed to the latest traffic news through radio and television broadcasts, the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk) and the HKeMobility mobile application.
Update on chikungunya fever
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced that, as of 5pm today (January 11), no new cases of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded.
Latest surveillance data
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Hong Kong has recorded a total of 82 confirmed CF cases last year. Among them, 11 were local cases, and the rest were imported cases.
Since the beginning of 2025, and as of December 10, 2025, a total of 502 264 CF cases and 186 CF-related deaths have been reported in over 40 countries/territories. Cases have been reported in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Although the northern hemisphere has entered the winter season, temperatures in subtropical and some temperate regions remain elevated due to climate change, creating favourable conditions for mosquito breeding. In addition, CF outbreaks continue to occur in many countries worldwide. The risk of imported cases persists. Members of the public should check the situation of the destinations before travelling abroad, especially when travelling to Southeast Asian countries.
Government's comprehensive follow-up actions
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Given that some local cases of CF have visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails or the surrounding area in November last year, the trails are currently closed until further notice. Relevant government departments continue to conduct large-scale mosquito control and prevention efforts along the trails, and the CHP appeals to the public not to enter the area in order to reduce the risk of contracting CF and to avoid exposure to chemicals or interfering with the mosquito control operations. Since the confirmation on December 10, 2025, of a case involving a person who had visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails on November 30, 2025, no further local cases have been recorded to date. The CHP continues to urge individuals who have recently hiked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails to seek medical attention as soon as possible if they develop relevant symptoms and to call the enquiry hotline (Tel: 2125 2373), which operates from 9am to 6pm.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has been continuously conducting intensive fogging operations to eliminate adult mosquitoes along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails and the surrounding area. At suitable locations, large ultra-low volume foggers have been deployed, and a robot dog is being put on trial to enhance operational effectiveness. The FEHD has also set up new mosquito trapping devices, cleared discarded containers and garbage that could cause stagnant water, and applied larvicide oil or larvicides in areas with stagnant water that cannot be removed immediately. The FEHD has been collaborating with the Kwai Tsing District Office, the Lands Department and the Drainage Services Department to strengthen efforts in eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails. Pamphlets have been distributed to hikers in the area, urging citizens to be vigilant against mosquito infestations and take personal protective measures. The FEHD has also held meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work across districts to discuss the latest developments regarding the situation and plan accordingly to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders in strengthening mosquito prevention and control measures in areas under their purview.
Continuously strengthening prevention and control
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The FEHD and relevant departments have comprehensively enhanced the mosquito control operations in Hong Kong since July last year, and this has continued. Among these, the FEHD has conducted vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations against the imported and local cases. In light of the local case, the FEHD has immediately conducted follow-up actions, including:
carrying out intensive fogging in scrubby areas within a 250-metre radius of the relevant locations to kill adult mosquitoes;
carrying out inspections of the locations, removing stagnant water, applying insecticides and disposing of abandoned water containers every week with a view to preventing mosquito breeding; and
enhancing public education efforts through organising health talks, setting up mobile education stations, and distributing publicity leaflets.
The abovementioned measures will be continued. Furthermore, the Government will further enhance the mosquito control efforts in addition to the existing measures.
Preventive measures to be taken by the public
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Members of the public should use DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients properly to prevent mosquito bites, but the following precautions should be taken when using them:
read the label instructions carefully first;
apply right before entering an area with a risk of mosquito bites;
apply on exposed skin and clothing;
use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children (for children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent);
apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent;
reapply only when needed and follow the instructions; and
in addition to DEET, there are other insect repellents available on the market containing different active ingredients, such as IR3535 and picaridin. When using any insect repellent, the public should follow the usage instructions and precautions on the product label.
The FEHD also appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as empty cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management agencies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems, and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of theCHPand theTravel Health Service, the latestTravel Health News,tips for using insect repellents, and the CHPFacebook Page,Instagram AccountandYouTube Channel, and also theMosquito Prevention and Control dedicated pageof the FEHD.
Source: AI-found images
