By Goya Dmytryshchak
A commuter ferry trial between Williamstown and Port Melbourne will start next month.
As an alternative to battling peak-hour traffic, St Kilda Ferry will offer a service from February 11 to 27.
The service will operate Monday to Wednesday, with the first ferry departing Gem Pier at Williamstown at 7am and the last at 5pm.
It will arrive at Port Melbourne in 15 minutes to coincide with the arrival of the 109 tram.
City commuters can catch a tram to arrive at Crown casino in eight minutes, Spring Street in 22 minutes or Southern Cross station in 35 minutes. The earliest ferry from Port Melbourne to Williamstown will leave at 7.30am and the last at 5.30pm.
St Kilda Ferry operator Rob Egan urged people to support the trial so it may become a permanent option to driving or catching a train.
“If you work in Port Melbourne at the little cafe there where we pull up, there’s a girl that actually does that and it takes her over an hour to get there from Williamstown,” he said. “If she took the ferry, it’s going to take her 15 minutes – it’s so quick and easy.
“That ferry run … pretty much operated since the day Williamtown was founded.”
Between the commuter ferry hours, the regular tourist timetable will be in
operation.
Commuter tickets cost $7 each way (half the cost of a tourist trip) and must be booked online at stkildaferry. com.au
