The sun has risen on Melbourne’s first commuter ferry service.
For the first time, the Port Phillip Ferries catamaran quietly departed from Wyndham Harbour for Docklands before dawn on Monday.
About a dozen commuters plus many more officials and staff enjoyed a speculator sun rise over a silhouetted city – complete with hot air balloons gliding among the skyscrapers.
The trip, which began at the Werribee South housing estate at 6.40am, marked the start of a three-month trial, an initiative of former Essendon chairman Paul Little and his company, Little Group.
Little Group operations director, Murray Rance, said he hoped that two or three return services would eventually run each morning and afternoon.
The journey currently takes about 70 to 74 minutes, but the Little Group is seeking permission to travel faster through the mouth of the Yarra River, cutting down journey times.
“We’re confident with talking to the authorities we can take 10 to 15 minutes off that time,” Mr Rance said.
“That allows us to run that second service from say 7.15am, to get in at just after 8 o’clock.”
While many of the approximately 60 people on the trip were officials (including Paul Little himself), there were a group of genuine commuters dotted amongst the mostly empty cabins.
Most said there were seeking a less-stressful commute. CBD worker Lisa Faldon, who usually takes the train, said while she probably would not save any time on the ferry, it would be “a much nicer experience”.
Karen Bourke, from Wyndham Harbour, leaves home at 6.40am each morning to get to work in Brunswick.
As the catamaran entered Victoria Harbour at Docklands, her daughter sent her a text of her overcrowded train. Karen sent back a picture of the sunrise.
“I drive over the West Gate Bridge on to the Tullamarine and some of my commutes can be an hour to two-and-a-half hours,” she said.
By the end of the trial, the Little Group hope that word of month would have helped fill “hundreds” of the 400 seats on the ferry.
“We know it will be a slow build up,” Mr Rance said. “It’s difficult to change people’s habits.
“I think [the key thing] is giving people confidence it’s going to be a reliable service, and not just something that is happening intermittently.”
A return trip to Wyndham Harbour will depart Docklands at 5.40pm.
A return ticket for the trial costs $20 – a price that is likely to increase to $25 to $29 for permanent services.
By Aisha Dow, The Age
