Harbour suburb loses ferries

By MATHEW DEARNALEY

One of Auckland's busiest routes for rush-hour traffic, Onewa Rd in Birkenhead, faces even more congestion with the withdrawal yesterday of a ferry service from neighbouring Beachhaven.

Yellow Water Taxis has given up an eight-month battle to make the pioneering service pay without an Auckland Regional Council subsidy.

The company's withdrawal from the run, to concentrate on more lucrative trips such as from Westpark Marina near Hobsonville, comes as the council prepares to seek tenders for subsidised ferry services for Beachhaven and Birkenhead.

But North Shore City Council works and environment chairman Joel Cayford said he feared some passengers might not return, even though his council and Auckland Regional Transport Network would press ahead anyway with plans to upgrade Beachhaven's wharf.

They would continue with a resource consent application for a new pontoon in the hope that another operator would step in.

Mr Cayford said last night that Yellow Water's withdrawal was a blow to a small but loyal group of commuters and called on the regional council to provide more support for start-up ferry services.

The regional council's passenger transport committee agreed last month to seek tenders for an inaugural subsidised service from Beachhaven and more frequent trips from Birkenhead, but contracts are not likely to be signed till October.

Beachhaven resident John Shears said transport planners had neglected his area for too long.

Commuters used to a 15-minute ferry trip to Auckland now faced a tortuous drive up to three times longer via Onewa Rd, he said.

Yellow Water Taxis began the Beachhaven run in December with a 30-seater vessel, but found its $11.80 unsubsidised return fare was unattractive to most residents.

Regional council planners are, however, viewing Beachhaven as a possible strategic ferry link to future services from even farther up the Waitemata, such as Hobsonville.


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