FERRY XMAS WISH
BAY OF HOPE: FASTER WOULD BE GOOD, BUT TRIAL CALM
A PERMANENT commuter ferry to Melbourne could be a reality by Christmas if a trial proves successful next week.
It comes after Port Phillip Ferries operated a 95-minute service between the Geelong waterfront and Victoria Harbour yesterday with about 150 people on board.
Chief executive Murray Rance, above, is aiming to get the trip under 100 minutes.
“More tests have to be done between the West Gate Bridge and Bolte Bridge. The idea is to try and compress the time down as we’ve done with the Portarlington service,” Mr Rance said.
THIS commute cruised into Melbourne five minutes early avoiding fault, maintenance issues and traffic jams.
About 150 people were on board the free 95-minute ferry trial from the Geelong waterfront to Victoria Harbour, Docklands, yesterday morning.
And if next week’s trial is a success, a permanent ferry from Geelong to Melbourne could be a reality by Christmas, Port Phillip Ferries chief executive Murray Rance said.
Men in business suits, women in corporate attire and families emerged from the darkness to board the 300-seat Bellarine Express for the 6.15am departure.
Ten minutes after departure as the ferry’s V12 turbocharged diesel engines kicked into gear and water washed from its stern, the lights of the Viva refinery were mere dots on the horizon.
By 6.50am the 100-tonne vessel with a price of more than $8 million was in Port Phillip Bay and hit 30 knots, or about 55km/h. An hour later it pulled into the shadows of Etihad Stadium.
Mr Rance said his aim was to achieve a permanent sub-100minute commute. “The idea is to try and compress the time down a bit as we’ve done with the Portarlington service,” he said. “If we can pick up a few minutes through the journey hopefully we’ll get it under 100 minutes.
“More tests have to be done between the West Gate Bridge and Bolte Bridge. It’s just a matter of proving we can do it safely.”
Mr Rance said the company was lobbying authorities to lift the longstanding 5-knot speed limit between the West Gate Bridge and Victoria Harbour that makes for a slow 25-minute end to the Geelong to Melbourne commute.
“Over the last two years we have got the speed from the West Gate Bridge to the mouth of the river increased,” he said.
Mr Rance said the company would investigate parking options for Geelong commuters before a permanent service started.
“There’s thousands of people who commute from Geelong to Melbourne, and from Melbourne to Geelong. We don’t want all of them, we just want 400 a day,” he said. “It’s wonderfully calm. If you’re on the train you hear the clickety-clack of the rail whereas here you hear the water lapping up against the side of the vessel.”
Geelong resident Alicia Cook, who works at the National Australia Bank in Docklands, said the journey needed to be quicker to attract more people.
“It needs to be competitive with the train so down to about an hour, an hour and 15 minutes,” Ms Cook said.
“There needs to be more options for people; two or three ferries, because so many people who work in Melbourne are now moving to Geelong.
“It’s just a nice, calmer way to get to work. I hope it continues.”
At 7.35am, a magnificent sunrise peeked from behind the city skyline as the ferry cruised down the Yarra River past Webb Dock and under the West Gate and Bolte bridges.
The ferry docked at Victoria Harbour at 7.50, and a return trip to Geelong at 8.20am was filled with passengers.
Another trial of Geelong to Melbourne, and Melbourne to Geelong ferries will operate on July 31 with the first leaving the Geelong waterfront at 6.15am.