Commuters and business owners are voicing their frustrations over the five-week closure of the Bulimba ferry terminal, with complaints of replacement buses not showing up and extra cars flooding streets.
More than 1100 passengers board at Bulimba ferry terminal each day, making it one of the busiest in the network, but it was shuttered for maintenance on Monday, and due to reopen in mid-December.
Bulimba resident Margaret Hall arrived about 7.20-7.25am on Monday and waited for a shuttle to Hawthorne that was supposed to turn up every 10 minutes.
Eventually, about 7.50am, she gave up and caught the 231 bus, arriving 20 minutes’ late for work.
“It’s a schemozzle,” she said. “That’s been, really, how it’s been all week.
“Normally, I could catch the 8.15am cross-river ferry, jump on a Glider and be in the Valley by 8.30am, which is convenient to me.
“It’s not rocket science, to be honest.”
The alternative options provided by council include using the Hawthorne ferry terminal, catching the F21 cross-river service between Hawthorne and Teneriffe, route 232 or 23 shuttle for a connection to the Hawthorne ferry, or route 230 to catch a bus into the city.
But commuters like Hall reported shuttle buses not showing up, and Hawthorne residents complained of extra cars flooding their streets, including some parked over driveways.
Peter Aitcheson, from homewares store Perfect Living on Oxford Street, two minutes’ walk from the Bulimba ferry stop, said changes to ferry transport had a big impact on local business.
He said his shop suffered a 40 per cent sales dip on days when CityCat workers went on strike – and the extended closure of the terminal just before Christmas was likely to have a similar effect.
“No time is going to be a good time, really, but we know that February, March, April is quieter for us,” he said. “They probably could have done it at the end of the school holidays, maybe after mid-January onwards.”
Aitcheson said he would have liked more consultation, and he was wondering if parking restrictions could be lifted to encourage visitors.
“If we were given notice, two or three months before, we could have put some money aside for our staff for a low six weeks of intake before Christmas,” he said.
Anne Wood, from Anne’s Second Hand Shop, said she supported CityCat workers seeking better entitlements, but the recent strikes resulted in a noticeable downturn along Oxford Street.
Wood said after the strikes, the weeks-long closure of the terminal was a “double whammy” for small business.
“A lot of our trade comes from tourists and retired people from New Farm, Teneriffe, Newstead,” she said.
Councillor Andrew Wines said essential maintenance on the terminal gangway could not be done safely while it was in use.
“We’re grateful for everyone’s patience and look forward to reopening the terminal later this year,” he said.
The council sent a community newsletter to residents about the upcoming closure and installed signs at terminals and on ferries.
Officers will be at Bulimba and Hawthorne ferry terminals this week to provide information about alternative options.
The council said other periods were considered, but the final dates were selected due to contractor availability, and ferries were much busier during the school holidays.
It said the route 23 shuttle was operating as scheduled, while the council enforced parking through proactive patrols and in response to complaints, and was investigating concerns around the Hawthorne ferry terminal.
Morningside councillor Lucy Collier claimed the LNP council had a poor track record on ferry maintenance, and had not provided reliable replacement services.
“The Lord Mayor has spent much time in recent weeks pushing booze on CityCats and buses on barges but has failed on basic forward planning for one of the city’s busiest ferry terminals,” she said.
The Bulimba terminal last had a major upgrade in 2014.
The next terminal in line for maintenance was Apollo Road, with work due to start at the end of November and finish in early 2027. It will remain open while the Bulimba terminal is closed.
The council is also investigating restoring the heritage-listed building at the Hawthorne ferry terminal.
A secret government report, revealed by this masthead in 2021, previously found a pedestrian and bike bridge linking Bulimba and Teneriffe would be feasible and used by up to 3600 people a day, but it was not progressed.
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