Australian Water Bus Operating for 30 Years
Identifying Improvements for Application to the Han River Bus
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon personally boarded the CityCat, Brisbane's water bus, which has become an established mode of water transportation in Australia, ahead of the official launch of the Han River Bus.
On the 8th (local time), Mayor Oh boarded the CityCat himself to observe the know-how accumulated through years of operating water transportation. The Brisbane CityCat water bus began service in 1996, and currently, 27 vessels operate across 19 terminals along a 20-kilometer route.
On the afternoon of the 8th (local time), Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon boarded the 30-year-old Brisbane CityCat ferry in Australia and listened to Brisbane city officials about their experience with on-time operations and safety management measures. Photo by Seoul City
Mayor Oh visited Brisbane to examine its 30 years of experience with water bus punctuality, strategies for popularization, and safety management, as well as to identify and address areas for improvement and supplementation for the Han River Bus. On that day, he meticulously reviewed every aspect from business planning to actual operations, seeking applicable insights to ensure the safe operation of the Han River Bus.
The CityCat is similar to the Han River Bus in that it operates along the Brisbane River, a meandering river running through the city center. It also shares similarities in terms of passenger capacity, speed, and onboard amenities.
Globally, water transportation systems similar to the Han River Bus include the ferry (Uber Boat) on the Thames River in London and Brisbane's CityCat. Mayor Oh conceived the idea for the Han River Bus after riding the Thames River ferry during his business trip to London in 2023. Now, about two years later and roughly two months before the official launch, he has visited the CityCat. Ferries in cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York differ from the Han River Bus in that they operate on the sea or rivers connected to the sea.
Earlier, on the morning of the 8th, Mayor Oh visited Brisbane City Hall as his first official engagement, where he listened to the local transportation and urban regeneration teams regarding water transportation policies. Based on Brisbane's CityCat operational expertise, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to identify improvements and implement necessary supplements before the official launch of the Han River Bus in September.
On the morning of the 9th, Mayor Oh visited waterfront development sites such as Howard Smith Wharves, a former dock area transformed into a complex cultural facility, and Story Bridge, a major transportation link between central Brisbane and South Brisbane, in order to gather ideas for creating innovative civic spaces.
In the afternoon, he visited the Hyundai Rotem mock-up exhibition hall, a local branch of a Korean company in Brisbane, and held a meeting with the Korean community, including Kim Sungyeon, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Brisbane, Kim Jinsung, former President of the Federation of Korean Associations in Australia, and Lee Seongsun, Vice President of the Queensland Korean Association.
Mayor Oh told the Korean community in Brisbane, "Seoul will always maintain an open attitude so that Koreans around the world can live with pride and the next generation can pursue their dreams in a broader world."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
