Recently I have been requesting feedback from people who use the ferry service from Half Moon Bay through to the city after a number of constituents raised concerns with me about this service. I have received a large number of responses both positive and negative.
We are very lucky in east Auckland to have an excellent ferry service from Half Moon Bay through to the CBD, with recent investment by the Howick Local Board providing an excellent ferry terminal.
For many people, buses and trains simply don’t get them where they need to go when they need to go there. The ferry service, when it works, is a faster and simpler option. The ferry provides commuters a very efficient means to travel into the city, but there is room for improvement.
Whilst many acknowledge the good things about the ferry service, there have been some significant issues raised with me as well which mostly relate to how the service is operated by Fullers.
Issues include ferries being cancelled at short notice, ferries unable to take their full load of passengers due to understaffing meaning many commuters being left behind, and buses replacing the ferry when the ferry can’t operate, but again with poor communication.
Improved methods of communication between Fullers and passengers have been suggested, such as the creation of a dedicated app with push notifications anytime a ferry service is delayed or cancelled.
Last week, I addressed letters to the CEOs of both Auckland Transport and Fullers Group requesting a joint meeting with representatives from both organisations to discuss these issues.
Public Transport is an important part of people’s daily commutes to work and must be reliable in order to attract more people and give people transport choice. I look forward to getting a response from Auckland Transport and Fullers on these issues.
If you have been affected in recent weeks and months by these issues, or if you have feedback you would like to provide about our local ferry service, I encourage you to get in touch with me by emailing PakurangaMP@parliament.govt.nz.
Simeon Brown
Member of Parliament for Pakuranga
