By SCOTT MacLEOD transport reporter
Heather Brosnahan of Whangaparaoa was so fond of her local ferry service that the pleasures of daily water travel spurred her to get a job in Auckland City.
But yesterday, just one month after she started using the Gulf Harbour Ferry, Fullers told her that they were scrapping the service.
In contrast, five new bus services were announced yesterday for the Auckland region as part of a bid to boost public transport.
The services take advantage of the Government-financed "kick-start" public transport scheme that started four weeks ago.
But, from December 22, there will be no more morning coffee, breakfast cereal, television and good conversation between Heather Brosnahan and the 30-odd other passengers who relax on the 45-minute ferry ride each morning and evening.
Daily passenger Andy Hallinon is one of many who are angry at the shutdown.
He accused Fullers of putting little or no effort into advertising the service so that more people would use it.
He said most of the passengers would be forced to go back to using their cars, adding to the daily jam on city motorways.
The ferry users paid more than twice as much to use the service as they would for a bus - $220 a month instead of $99 - but said water travel was worth it because there was no stress and passengers spoke to each other.
Just last Friday the regulars held a ferry party at a Whangaparaoa restaurant.
"It's a wonderful service and people are devastated," Mr Hallinon said.
Fullers general manager Chris Bradley said the service had to end because few people were using it - only 35 a trip. Even using a new vessel, the Seaflyte, had failed to lure new customers.
The Auckland Regional Council subsidises the service with $125,000 a year. A council spokeswoman said that worked out at $8 a head per trip compared with the Half Moon Bay ferry costing just $3.37 per person.
The council's transport committee chairman, Les Paterson, said the closure and options would be considered at a meeting next Thursday.
The new bus services are:
Feeder buses to the Birkenhead Ferry (run by Birkenhead Transport).
Express buses between Botany Downs and Manukau City centre (Howick and Eastern Buses).
More buses along New North Rd/Ian McKinnon Rd/Queen St during weekday peaks (Stagecoach).
More buses from Onehunga to Auckland City, via One Tree Hill (Stagecoach).
More morning buses along New North Rd, Dominion Rd, Sandringham Rd, Glen Eden, Beach Rd in East Coast Bays, and Mt Eden Rd.
They will start either late in December or early in the new year.
Mr Paterson said the council had budgeted $640,000 for trial services, and the Government had boosted that to $1.6 million.
The Minister of Transport, Mark Gosche, said the Government's new scheme could boost its public transport spending from $46 million a year to $73 million by 2003.
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