Hobart City Council will look into funding a ferry service from the city to Bellerive
Hobart City Council will undertake a report into the viability of a ferry service from Salamanca to Bellerive on the Eastern Shore.
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HOBART City Council may go it alone in bringing back ferries to the River Derwent.
On the back of the popularity of a ferry service the council ran when traffic to the Tasman Bridge was hindered by the installation of the Bridge of Remembrance, Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds wants to look at more ferry options.
Ald Reynolds said the one-off free ferry, on January 19, drew more crowds than originally expected.
She said the ferry made 19 crossings, carrying 3193 passengers from Bellerive to Hobart. A second ferry had to be added to the service because of the high demand.
“It’s a reminder how popular ferries are with the Hobart community as a method of transport,” she said.
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As a result of the public thumbs up, Hobart Council is now undertaking a report to investigate the possibility of further Saturday crossings between Hobart and Bellerive during the summer months.
“We are getting a report that will give us information about the service that was run for the Remembrance Bridge, and advise about whether there could be any option for an ongoing service,” Ald Reynolds said.
She said the ferry would be a specialty service rather than a commuter service, as the State Government had the budget and responsibility to provide public transport.
But Ald Reynolds said she backed the idea of a government-subsidised commuter ferry service on the River Derwent, as public transport was integral to a functioning city.
“I think [commuter ferries] are a really big opportunity … but, like all public transport, they will need to be subsidised,” she said.
“Public transport is like public hospitals and public schools — they are a worthwhile investment.
“Public transport makes cities work more efficiently and makes for a healthier population as people are more likely to walk part of their journey.”
The State Government has backed the idea of a commuter ferry service between Bellerive and Hobart to ease Hobart’s traffic congestion.
The Government last year contributed $2 million for Metro to undertake a scoping study to develop the service.
A spokesman for Navigators, which ran the one-off Saturday ferries for Hobart Council, said the event was a great success.
“We’re very excited by the public support for the ferry service that we operated for Hobart Ciy Council,” he said.
anne.mather@news.com.au
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