Advanced Search

Share Coverage



Category: Urban Development and Planning / States and Territories / Sea Transport / Activism and Lobbying

Incat pitches ferry service proposal to ease Hobart's traffic woes

Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016 17:33:23

Incat wants the Tasmanian Government to pay for 16 floating jetties. (Supplied)

A ferry network servicing Hobart's entire River Derwent and costing passengers no more than a bus fare is being touted as a solution to the city's traffic woes.

Tasmania's biggest shipbuilder Incat said it would fund and build up to six ferries that would run as frequently as every 10 minutes during peak times.

But the company wanted the State Government to pay for 16 associated floating jetties.

The jetties would be based at points along the River Derwent, from as far north as Gagebrook, right down to Blackmans Bay.

Ferry terminal map for River Derwent Photo: The ferries would service the area from Gagebrook in the north down to Blackmans Bay. (Supplied)

"Let's say each of the terminals might be a million dollars ... [with] 15, 16 or so terminals," Incat chairman Bob Clifford said.

"[So] $50 million all up would put the entire thing into service and you'd have a very economical public transport service.

"My ferry is a low-cost version — low cost of terminals, low cost of operation —and I think it can be done for the same price as a MT bus for example.''

Incat is yet to put the proposal to the State Government but is keen to enter into discussions.

It comes as Hobart grapples with traffic congestion, worsened by recent construction activity in the CBD.

A forum was held last month to discuss concerns and a plan was made to transfer the ownership of the two CBD thoroughfares — Macquarie Street and Davey Streets from the Hobart City Council to the State Government.

Mr Clifford believed ferries were an obvious solution to the traffic problem.

"There is a need for ferries in my opinion, there is a need to get people out of their motor cars — this is an option that needs proper consideration and basically that's what I'm saying," Mr Clifford said.

"There are ferries operating all over the world on waterways that are not dissimilar to Hobart and it's rather odd actually that Hobart does not take full advantage of the water.''

The proposal suggests trips from Blackmans Bay, Gagebrook, Sandford and Opossum Bay to Hobart city would each take 25 minutes.

Sullivans Cove to Bellerive would be eight minutes, with each ferry doing six crossings an hour.

Incat evolved from local Hobart boat building companies, including the Sullivans Cove Ferry Company formed by Mr Clifford in 1972.

The company transported more than 9 million passengers by ferry in the two years following the collapse of the Tasman Bridge in 1975.

AustraliaPlus


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend