Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

NEWS RELEASE: No Cutbacks to Ferry Services

posted Wednesday 16 January 2008

Regular users of the Manly ferry and JetCat should be uneasy about the future of their services. The recent report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Sydney Ferries (Walker Report) canvasses cutbacks and possible privatisation of the service. Instead, the consumer group Action for Public Transport (APT) advocates expanding ferry services on Sydney Harbour. To further encourage motorists to switch to public transport, APT also urges the introduction of a simplified zone based fare system across the Sydney metropolitan area.

Manly MP Mike Baird will host a public meeting on the future of ferry services at the Freshwater Senior Campus on Thursday 17th January at 6 pm to allow locals to air their views.

The modal split of journeys to/from the CBD is an important measure in transport planning. Currently, 70% of all journeys from the Manly Warringah area to the CBD are made by public transport. The State Plan has set a goal for 75% of all journeys to/from the CBD to be made by public transport. The average across the Sydney metropolitan area is currently 72%.

Ferry services play a crucial role in provision of public transport for the commuters of the Manly Warringah area. In fact, ferry travel accounts for 28% of all journeys from the Manly Warringah area to the CBD.

The Walker Report's recommendation to delete JetCat services is inconsistent with the goals of the State Plan. The percentage of journeys made by public transport would fall if the JetCat was axed. Action for Public Transport also opposes replacement of the Freshwater class Manly Ferries with smaller vessels as proposed by the Walker Report.

Cutting ferry services will encourage greater use of private motor cars, which will only exacerbate the problems of road congestion and air pollution. Planners need to respond to the challenges of peak oil and climate change. The fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that continued generation of greenhouse gases at current levels is unsustainable. (*)

Action for Public Transport urges the New South Wales Government to invest serious money in expanding public transport capacity. The government should expand the capacity of the ferry fleet, investigate the feasibility of a ferry service linking Manly to King St Wharf at Darling Harbour, and ensure introduction that smartcard ticketing and zone based fares are prioritised.

(*)"Continued GHG emissions at or above current rates would cause further warming and induce many changes in the global climate system during the 21st Century that would very likely be larger than those observed during the 20th Century." - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report, p.3 Topic 3

Contact: Allan Miles 9516-1906

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