OVERCROWDED trains and traffic jams may become a thing of the past for western suburbs residents with the state government looking at the feasibility of a ferry from Werribee to the city.
Last Saturday, Planning Minister Matthew Guy announced a $300,000 study that would examine the suitability of a Sydney-style commuter ferry in Melbourne.
The proposed service would be run by a private company,with ferries stopping at Werribee South, Point Cook, Altona and Williamstown.
The ferries would sail into Docklands or a terminal near Flinders Street station.
Under the study’s terms of reference, the service would only be viable if trips took less than an hour, had reasonable ticket prices and could attract enough passengers.
The study has already earned the support of Melbourne City Council, which hopes to transform Docklands into a mini-Circular Quay.
Committee for Wyndham executive director Nik Tsardakis said that, on the face of it, a ferry service was a good idea.
However, he questioned how fast the service would be given the time it would take to berth, load and unload passengers, and set sail again.
“The speed at which it can transport people would be critical,” Mr Tsardakis said. “If it matches the timeframe it takes to get into the city by train then people would probably use it.
“You would think that if it’s going to stop too many times you would have a problem, so that is something that will need to be looked at.”
LeadWest chief executive Anton Mayer said the idea was worth exploring but cautioned against viewing it as a solution to the west’s transport problems.
“It’s not an alternative. We need efficient public transport and roads. We should be looking at [transport options that] deliver the best value for money.
Certainly for growth areas one shouldn’t underestimate the value buses have.”
Opposition planning spokesman Brian Tee said western suburbs residents would not be fooled into thinking ferries were a solution to transport problems. -Laura Little
