Swamped by joy-riding tourists and ignored by most commuters, Hawaii’s new ferry operation raised its round-trip prices yesterday. …
As many as 300 tourists have walked on board at $3 apiece for a 1-1/2-hour round trip from Pier 8 near Aloha Tower to Barbers Point Harbor and back. That was not the idea for a commuter ferry.
Fares for those “joyriders” jumped yesterday to $20 for tourists and $10 for Hawaii residents, said Ted Cook, vice president of Hawaii Ocean Transit System, which began operating Aug. 10. …
Cook said he decided to go ahead with the increase after a discussion Wednesday with state Transportation Director Rex Johnson.
Transportation spokeswoman Marilyn Kali said she left the meeting with a different impression of what would happen.
The ferry will be “only selling one-way tickets,” Kali said yesterday, before learning of Cook’s decision to increase fare for round-trip tickets. Kali said Johnson “wants it to continue as it is.” She said the $3 limit on one-way fares is specified in the company’s contract with the state.
The company also may want to eliminate the first of two afternoon runs because few commuters get off work in time for the 3 p.m. departure from Pier 8.
The final departure time from Pier 8 is 4:30 p.m. The company may want to make that departure even later, but not so late that it would hurt its dinner-cruise business aboard the same vessel.
… Cook said 16 to 20 commuters have been taking the ferry each day, but many of them may be making trial runs. A Makakilo resident who has been taking it regularly said he has noticed only four to seven other regulars on board.
Cook said he is not discouraged by the low turnout of commuters.
“This is probably the worst terminal we have in the contract” with the state, he said. “It’s the roughest water, it’s probably the furthest away and it takes about seven minutes to get from Farrington Highway to the (Barbers Point) terminal.”
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