Free buses, taxi vouchers ease cruise terminal woes
Cruise passengers said on Wednesday that they’re happy with new transport arrangements that have been put in place to take them from the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal to the city centre and other key attractions.  Concerns were previously raised about the accessibility of the cruise terminal, after passengers complained of a lack of transport to take them to the heart of the city.  To tackle the problem, a new free bus route came into service to ferry people between the cruise terminal and the Kai Tak MTR station, while free shuttle buses were on hand to take visitors to tourist spots like the West Kowloon Cultural District and Peak Tram station.  Taxi drivers were also given a HK$50 voucher to fill up their tanks when they pick up disembarking passengers at the port.  One cruise liner – the Resorts World One - docked in Hong Kong on Wednesday morning, and most passengers said they were happy with the new arrangements.  "Before, there was not enough transportation and people had to queue for a long time. There are signs telling us about the shuttle buses outside the terminal. There have been many improvements," a Mr Leung told RTHK.  "Not only is it convenient for us, but it's also convenient for tourists who are in a rush," another shuttle bus passenger said.  However, some taxi drivers were sceptical about the HK$50 fuel voucher, with one saying: "I dare not come again. I waited for more than an hour and there were no passengers." “The road leading to [the terminal] is about three to four kilometres, full of twists and turns, and has no passengers along the way. If an empty cab enters the cruise terminal and there are no passengers, it would waste at least half an hour of the driver's time,” another cabbie said.  One driver, meanwhile, urged the authorities to provide real-time information on passenger numbers to help cab drivers make informed decisions. Tourism minister Kevin Yeung, who inspected the new arrangements at the cruise terminal, said things went smoothly.  "We will continuously review the effectiveness of these measures and may do some fine-tuning. The ultimate purpose is to make sure that tourists, when they arrive at Hong Kong, they have a smooth trip," he said.