Mike Baird | Member for Manly - Welcome News on New Fast Ferry But Let's See Details

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Welcome News on New Fast Ferry But Let's See Details

Monday, 19 January 2009

Manly commuters will be relieved a new fast ferry operator has been appointed to service the Manly route and should begin operation next month, said Manly MP Mike Baird.

�This is welcome news for the thousands of people who used to rely on the JetCats, as the sooner we get the service running the better, however let�s see the details,� Mr Baird said.

�It looks like the new service will match the frequency, capacity and speed of the JetCats, with vessels that use less fuel and so will be more environmentally friendly and cost less to run.�

Mr Baird said following a community campaign protesting against the axing of the JetCats in the Mini Budget, the NSW Government opened the service to private tender.

Four companies lodged expressions of interest to run the service and Bass & Flinders Cruises was appointed yesterday as the successful bidder.

�Bass & Flinders have said they intend to run up to eight services in the morning and evening peaks, which is when the service is desperately needed.

�They will use one 400-seat catamaran and leased vessels until a new 300-seat catamaran is available in March.�

Mr Baird said he and the local Fix Our Ferries Group have asked for an urgent meeting with the new operators, which is contracted to provide the service until at least 2010.

�In the meantime, while we wait for the new service to start, we repeat our call for the Transport Minister to put on additional ferry services to cater for the increased demand.

�There needs to be at least one service every 20 minutes during peak, as David Campbell promised.

�The commuting time for Manly residents has more than doubled since the Government canned the JetCats.

�People are waiting 45 minutes during peak and missing out on seeing their children because they are getting home more than an hour later.�

Mr Baird said he encouraged commuters to provide feedback on the new service when it begins operation.

MEDIA: Lisa Harrington - 0406 726 880

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Comments (10)

Jetcat replacement

I still don't understand why the Govt didnt wait until a replacement service was found before they canned the jetcat

Posted by: Sarah calman at 20-01-2009 10:31

Manly Ferry frequency of service

Even if they can commit to 2 more ferries during peak times they'd cover 90% of the problem. As its mostly just the 7:30 & 8:00am ferry that is busy (and there is already and 8:15am ferry) ...so another one between the hours of 7am and 8:15am would cover the morning crowds.
Same again for the evening - 1 more ferry between 5 and 7pm would likely cover it (as currently its mostly the 5:20, 5:45 and 6:20 that's crowded).
So I would think 2 more ferries a day isn't so much to ask for

Posted by: p Jeffery at 20-01-2009 10:35

Manly fast ferry

Has anyone said how much tix wil cost? I've not seen this mentioned anywhere.

Posted by: Craig at 20-01-2009 12:22

price

re Craig's questions on cost, the Herald is reporting that the costs may be less... page 7 says, "Mr Ford said he hoped to sell tickets on the new service at less than the JetCat ticket price because his vessels could carry more people and used less fuel. "We run whale watching during the day so the usage is higher, whereas the JetCat is tied up for eight hours," he said.

Posted by: Lisa from Mike's office at 20-01-2009 12:41

Ferries

Ferry overcrowding: I regularly get the 7.30 ferry from Manly. I was shocked to hear the Minister say that the ferries are "not overcrowded". Perhaps when it comes to a head count, the 7.30 ferry is not as crowded as at tourist time. However, there is a fundamental difference. The tourists run all over the ferry, flit from place to place, buy food, move around looking at different things. You can always get a seat on one of those ferries. However, the 7.30 am to the Quay is full of business people. They want to find a spot to read their book. They stay in one place for whole journey. The ferry is more crowded in real terms than when full of tourists. Stop the spin - PLEASE.

Posted by: Christine King at 20-01-2009 12:54

Integrated approach to commuting from Ma

To encourage more people onto the ferries and off the roads to CBD, more thought needs to be given to park-n-ride facilities to get commuters to the Manly ferry wharf. With the introduction of local parking restrictions, the ability to commute by ferry is much more limited now than it was in the past. An alternate to street parking is needed.

Posted by: Nick C at 20-01-2009 12:55

ferry/jetcat service and families

Hi Mike! Just wanted to point out that some parents fare worse than just "missing out on seeing their children" when the public transport fails. Working parents run into serious difficulties picking up their children from childcare centres which often have steep penalties for late pick-up. Let's hope the privately operated fast service really can deliver on time and affordably!

Posted by: Jennifer Grant Jary at 20-01-2009 13:04

Fast Ferry for Manly

Thank you for helping to get a fast ferry service back. It'll make things a lot easier for us. It's great to have an effective local MP

Posted by: vanessa at 20-01-2009 21:43

New Faster Ferry?...........

I am a little hesitant at celebrating as yet Mike, am waiting till the ferry begins and also am wary about the governments motives. We have been pulled and slugged each way in the past, and whenever they say something good is happening there is always a hidden agenda. So forgive me for not kicking up my heels as yet.

Posted by: Debra Arena at 20-01-2009 21:47

re Manly Daily article 21/1/09

Northern Beaches residents have to question whether or not we would even have a proposed fast-ferry service by Bass and Flinders Cruises without the organising efforts of our local Liberal Shadow Treasury Minister to solicit interested tenderers in the first place.
Just a reminder that the State Labor Government would have left us high and dry without Mike Baird's efforts to get a seemingly viable response from private industry that now makes Labor "look good" - despite its failure to initiate any early background efforts to get a replacement service!

Posted by: Doug Robertson at 23-01-2009 06:16