Hope for Sydney Ferries if it Learns from Big Brother in Brisbane 
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Friday 23 November 2007 Manly MP Mike Baird has questioned why the Sydney Ferries service is so dysfunctional after viewing the operation of Brisbane ferries, which have only missed reliability targets twice in four years. “The Brisbane ferry service works – patronage continues to increase, fares are cheaper than Sydney, and importantly, regular surveys show customers are happy that they’re getting where they need to on time,” said Mr Baird who spent Monday in Brisbane with Shadow Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian. “Industry was telling us, here is a ferry service that’s working effectively. We owed it to local commuters to see first hand what Sydney can learn from Brisbane’s experience – Sydney commuters have suffered a shambolic service for too long.” Since Brisbane’s ferry service was restructured almost four years ago, patronage has risen from 3.6 million to 6.1 million passenger trips per year. “We were impressed with the customer service culture in Brisbane. Twice-yearly AC Nielson surveys find customer satisfaction is at around 80%, and that’s based on on-time running, cleanliness and safety. “The fares are also significantly cheaper. We paid $7.20 to travel 60 kilometres in dedicated bus lanes and ferries from one end of Brisbane to the other, and yet it costs $8.20 in Sydney to do a single trip on the JetCat.” Brisbane City Council has a service contract with Transdev-TSL to run its ferry service, similar to that recommended by Commissioner Bret Walker in the Sydney Ferries Inquiry. “The Brisbane results speak for themselves. Whether the ferry service is owned and operated by Government, private or a combination of both, customers will flock to it if it’s affordable, safe and reliable. “I have asked Transport Minister John Watkins to come to a forum in Manly to hear commuters’ views on the future of Sydney Ferries following the Walker Inquiry. He has indicated he is willing to attend and we are in the process of locking in a date.” MEDIA: Lisa Harrington - 0406 726 880 Add to:          Write Comment
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