Bumpy air for Flyer ferry

PORTARLINGTON’S commuter ferry had plenty of passengers at the weekend, but its sister service out of Geelong needs greater patronage.

The ferries did two return trips to Melbourne’s Docklands on Saturday and Sunday, but are yet to resume weekday service.

The trips at the weekend marked the resumption of the ferry service after a shutdown forced by the coronavirus.

With strict social distancing measures in place, the 400seat Bellarine Express travelled between Portarlington Safe Harbour and the Docklands with 100 passengers on board for each 70-minute journey.

But Port Phillip Ferries chief executive Murray Rance said numbers on the Geelong Flyer were “relatively low”.

“Our Bellarine customers have had three years to experience the benefits of travelling via the ferry, the Geelong market is still very new, only commencing in December 2019, not long before

COVID-19 hit,” Mr Rance said. “We really need the people of Greater Geelong to embrace ferry travel as a legitimate way to travel to and from Melbourne.”

The global pandemic came at a cruel time for PPF, with the Geelong service in its infancy and starting to build a loyal following.

“We know things would have been really different if COVID-19 didn’t occur,” Mr Rance said. “There was footy, which always drew a good crowd, especially from Geelong, and there were a number of major events that would have usually attracted good numbers for the ferry.”

The ferry from Geelong to Docklands takes 90 minutes — about 30 minutes longer than a train ride to nearby Southern Cross Station.

But PPF has promoted the increased space, reliability and comfort of its offering, factors it believes might be important to commuters in light of social distancing demands.

“Bookings are coming in for the weekends ahead, which is encouraging, and a number of people are using the ferry as a way to reconnect with family and friends between Melbourne and Greater Geelong,” Mr Rance said.

“It’s also encouraging with further restrictions easing, so there will be more to experience at either end. School holidays are also coming up, so we look forward to having that family market return on board.

“(At the weekend) there were whales spotted on the bay and that usually sparks the interest of a few.”