President Chen Inaugurates Southern "Blue Highway" Ferry Service
Kaohsiung, Oct. 6 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian officiated over a ceremony at a Kaohsiung port Sunday to inaugurate the opening of a "blue highway" ferry service connecting the southern counties of Kaohsiung and Pingtung.
Chen opened the first passenger voyage between Kaohsiung and Pingtung in a ceremony held at the port of Fengpitou, where he boarded the cruiser "The Marine Queen" for a 70-minute cruise before landing at Haikuo Port in Pingtung County.
The Fengpitou-Haikuo service, which offers an alternative means of transport for travelers between Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties, is the first "blue highway" in southern Taiwan, which is the second of its kind in Taiwan.
Taiwan's first blue highway was opened about two years ago in the Taipei County port of Tamshui, allowing passengers to tour the northern and northeastern coast by sea.
Despite the fact that Taiwan is an island, it is only since the lifting of strict maritime restrictions in the last few years that people have been allowed to travel by boat on recreational voyages along the coast.