Sydney Ferries in 2004

摘要

Since the 1920s the financial status of Sydney's ferry operators has varied from precarious to verging on bankruptcy. Both major ferry companies eventually succumbed to their losses and their operations were assumed by the NSW Government - Sydney Ferries Limited in 1951 and the Port Jackson Steam Ship Company (by then owned by Brambles) in 1974. Whilst this may have saved the services it did not resolve the financial situation which became further complicated by political interference. The ferries are estimated to be losing $24 million a year. The people of Sydney love their ferries and when asked will talk warmly about them, remembering past romances, favourite vessels, and exciting trips - but unfortunately not using them very often; ferries carrying less than 1% of all commuter trips in Sydney. However the high profile of the ferries means that they receive press and political attention well in excess of all other modes of transport. An incident on the ferries, even if minor, is almost guaranteed to receive press attention. As a result there have been several reports into Sydney ferries over the past few years. In late 2003 the Transport Services Minister, Michael Costa announced that Sydney Ferries (SF) would be corporatised, that is separated from the State Transit Authority in which it operated as a semi-autonomous division and as a self-contained Government-owned business.