Families queue for punt

A punt ferrying people across the Waikato River is being touted as an extra Hamilton attraction and possible boon to commuters after a successful trial.

Cruise Waikato could be offering the service within a month after people queued for the quick journey across the river during the weekend's Children's Day activities.

Cruise Waikato director T K Taylor said the punt carried more than 1000 people from the west side of the river by the Waikato Museum to the Memorial Park jetty on the opposite bank.

The punt operated non-stop from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

"I thought there would be a lot of people, but I didn't realise how popular the service was going to be."

The punt ride was free on Sunday, but Mr Taylor said the company would probably start charging a gold coin fee to make the crossing commercially viable.

"We would love to be able to provide the service if the market was there."

Mr Taylor said the company would offer the punt service during events on the river and in the city. Long-term, he hoped to run a weekend service and, during the week, commuter runs for people parking on the east side and crossing to the city.

"Many, many people were asking if the service would still be available and said they would like to see it running all the time," Mr Taylor said.

The punt was ideal for the service because it could operate when the river was at its lowest.

Other businesses including the Novotel had signalled support and said they would point people in the punt's direction.

The punt is just one of the services in Mr Taylor's plans for reinvigorating one of the city's biggest assets. However, regional transport committee deputy chair Paula Southgate, who took the punt on Sunday, doubted it would be feasible short-term. Improving the jetties and river banks would be costly and the money better invested in bus services.

"I was really surprised how many people took the opportunity to travel across the river," she said. "It would be lovely to see it happen once a year."

Cruise Waikato, which owns the punt and the cruise boat Te Awa Kuini, is waiting on a $250,000 landing craft for a commuter service along the river.

The Regional Transport Committee will review the passenger transport ferry service as part of its passenger transport plan later this year.

- © Fairfax NZ News