Residents fear the Balmain East wharf will face a major increase in commuters due to proposed changes to the ferry network.Credit:Sam Mooy
The proposed changes mean Balmain East wharf will become a busy interchange point for people travelling on Parramatta River ferries who want to get to Circular Quay or the lower north shore,sparking concerns the wharf will struggle to handle a large increase in commuters.
The biggest change to the network will be a merger of the F2 Taronga Zoo and F6 Mosman Bay routes into a"one-loop route". Ferries on the merged routes will run anti-clockwise in the morning from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo and Mosman,and then clockwise in the afternoon from 1pm.
Transdev argues this will enable a more frequent service to ensure trips meet demand during both peak and off-peak travel times.
But Mosman and North Sydney councils said the changes will result in longer journeys for commuters catching ferries from Mosman Bay to Circular Quay."This will add considerable time onto the trip,"North Sydney Council mayor Jill Gibson said.
Mosman mayor Carolyn Corrigan said:"There will definitely be an increase in travel times. We want to understand how[Transdev] are going to ameliorate that."
Graeme Taylor,from Action for Public Transport,said the longer travel times would encourage people to drive or catch a taxi instead of ferries."People who are at Cremorne Point in the afternoon will face the best part of an hour ferry trip because they have to go back to Mosman wharf and Taronga Zoo before they get to Circular Quay,"he said.