(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-01-19 11:39

SHANGHAI: Local port authorities vowed on Friday to crack down on illegal ferries during the upcoming Spring Festival transportation peak in a bid to enhance transport safety in the wake of a recent accident.

The city's port authority will step up on-site inspection of major passenger ports throughout the city, with special attention being paid to illegal ferries between the city and the three islands of Chongming, Changxing and Hengsha.

And banners urging travelers to shun illegal ferries will be displayed at every port in Shanghai from next week, the Municipal Port Administration Bureau said.

Continued foggy weather troubled Shanghai last week, resulting in a serious ferry accident last Friday in which one person was killed and another 10 remain unaccounted for. The illegal ferry collided with an anchored vessel when it was 2 to 3 km offshore.

Regular ferry services are often cancelled in Shanghai due to poor weather conditions, leading to the illegal operation of some private ferries.

A total of 142 ferries will be put into service during the Spring Festival transportation peak to meet soaring passenger demand during the holiday, said Xu Peixing, head of the municipal port administration bureau.