Sydney ferry delays, cancellations to continue for third day

Sydney commuters hoping to catch a ferry from Sydney Harbour on Monday have woken up to some bad news, as ferry services continue to be cancelled due to staffing issues.

Sydney commuters hoping to catch a ferry from Sydney Harbour on Monday morning have woken to bad news as ferry services continue to be cancelled due to staff shortages and issues.

Commuters hoping to make the most of the free travel offer have also been warned to expect further delays on the ferry network throughout the day, with significant waiting times anticipated at Manly.

NSW Minister for Transport David Elliott told 2GB on Monday morning the delays caused by staff shortages from the Sydney Ferry network will be the “new normal for the time being.”

Two ferry services between Circular Quay and Parramatta have been cancelled so far on Monday.

The 7:07am Circular Quay to Parramatta ferry and the 08:38am return from Parramatta to Circular Quay have cancelled due to a staffing issue.

— Sydney Ferries Info (@FerriesInfo) April 17, 2022

On Sunday, commuters were told to consider other modes of transport, as services hit capacity amid cancellations and booming passenger numbers.

In an update posted shortly before 3pm, Sydney Ferries operators warned services were hitting capacity and may be running late.

The 4:02pm ferry from Circular Quay to Rydalmere and Parramatta was cancelled shortly after with Sydney Ferries citing staff shortages, after multiple services were cancelled amid swelling passenger numbers on Saturday.

Paul Garrett, the deputy secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia in Sydney, said some staff shortages were due to Covid-19, but not all.

“Transdev Sydney Ferries haven’t recruited enough staff to cover all the timetabled services,” he said.

The Fred Hollows was packed as it arrived at the Manly wharf. Picture: Damian Shaw

“After two years of Covid, it is clear that an over-reliance on overtime simply doesn’t work.

“The MUA has called on Transdev Sydney Ferries to fix this and it needs to be resolved well in advance of the Vivid light show in May.”

Ferry operator Transdev was contacted for comment.

It came as Transport Minister David Elliott heralded the success of the start of 12-days of fare free public transport, with more than one million free trips registered across the network on Saturday.

Compared to Easter Saturday last year, ferry patronage was up 23.8 per cent, train services up 15.2 per cent and light rail up 17.7 per cent.

“The combination of high vaccination rates, great weather, school holidays and two years of restrictions has created the perfect ingredients for Sydney siders to embrace fare free travel with gusto,” Mr Elliott said.

Passengers were crammed together in the ferry terminal as they awaited the service returning to the CBD. Picture: Damian Shaw

“I’m looking forward to seeing the data which may well prove that this economic lever can be revisited in the future. It’s clear that the decision to have 12 consecutive days over this period was a much better investment than any period of fare free Fridays.

“I’d also like to thank the Transport for NSW staff who have worked to create this a memorable holiday period for so many families.”

CHAOS AT CIRCULAR QUAY AS FERRIES CANCELLED, DELAYED

People keen to enjoy Sunday’s idyllic weather along Sydney’s beautiful waterways have been warned to expect large crowds and possible delays, as thousands take advantage of the city’s free public transport network.

Almost one million free trips were registered on public transport on Saturday, with 58,000 taken on Sydney Ferries and 67,000 on the light rail alone.

The massive surge of passengers caused delays on Saturday with services at capacity and some cancelled, and Transport for NSW citing staff shortages for the cancellations.

On Saturday Sydney Ferries stated that services were “expected to be busy today”, with passengers urged to “allow plenty of extra travel time”.

The queues caught many sightseers out on Saturday, when cancelled and delayed ferry services from staff shortages left long queues snaking around Circular Quay.

Long lines for the Manly Ferry mingle with crowds at Circular Quay on Sunday morning. Picture: David Swift

Ferries across all routes including to Taronga Zoo, Parramatta, Manly, Watsons Bay and Cockatoo Island were at capacity on Saturday afternoon with some not picking up passengers and other routes cancelled completely.

Ferries are full on Sunday. Picture: David Swift

Queues were long but orderly at Circular Quay on Sunday morning. Picture: David Swift

“Many ferries are at capacity and wait times are lengthy,” Sydney Ferries said.

“Please consider using alternate travel options.

Customers were told to catch trains or buses to alleviate the stress on the ferry network.

Sydneysiders were greeted by lengthy lines reaching from the Circular Quay terminal around to the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Opera House in the other direction.

Long queues for the ferries on Saturday. Picture: Patty Jansen/Instagram

“Anyone trying to get a Manly Ferry from the Quay, be prepared to wait! The queue is BONKERS! I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve been riding the ferries for decades,” one Twitter user said.

Long queues of people at wharf 5 at Circular Quay due to ferry queues. Picture: Damian Shaw

Public transport around Sydney was heavy all day with free travel on buses, trains, ferries and light rail until April 25.

This comes as Transport Minister David Elliott contemplates making fare free travel a permanent occurrence on public holidays as it is in other countries such as Belgium.

Long lines for the Manly Ferry on Sunday. Picture: David Swift

The wait was too long for some. Picture: David Swift

Among its benefits would be keeping people out longer, encouraging drunk drivers off the road and keeping congestion down.

Mr Elliott said the 12 days of fare free travel over Easter, the school holidays and Anzac Day across all modes of transport had so far proven to be a great success.

The government waived fees for all modes of public transport from April 14 to 25 after commuters were left stranded following industrial chaos.

It is understood Elliott will seek hard data from Business Sydney as part of exploring a more permanent arrangement.