How many times do you hear people say you don’t appreciate something until it is gone? Why do I think that is going to be the case with the ferry service from Werribee to the city?
Week-day patronage has been dismal, barely reaching double figures. You don’t need to be the federal treasurer to work out that there is no future in that. The people behind the service, the Little Group, are a business, not a charity.
The group is already looking at services on the other side of the bay. If the west loses out this time, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
There are a few issues that need addressing, and I know things such as departure times and journey length are causing concerns for commuters. Price is certainly not a problem. One person pointed out to me they saw advertising that said it was the same price as a suburban train fare. Given this person had not been on a train for 10 years, the advertising did not hit home. But when he was asked to pay $3.90 for the ferry trip, he was amazed.
The state government has been asked to look at changing the speed allowed by the ferry once it passes under the Westgate Bridge. The slow speed currently required does have a big impact on travel time, pushing the trip’s duration above an hour.
Last week’s trial from Portarlington was a sell-out and no doubt that will be a route of the future.
In the warmer months, I can see the weekend service being very popular both ways, bringing visitors in for the zoo and the tourism precinct and shopping at Pacific Werribee – and taking Wyndham residents to the city.
Why isn’t the week-day service more attractive to commuters?
I would love to hear from those people who whinge about the gridlock faced travelling by road to the city yet still would rather drive than give this a go.
Surely the drive to Werribee South is not that big a deal and there is carparking at the site.
