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Leave the car at home and catch the ferry!

News story
Thursday 13 Aug 2009
Commuters on the North Shore are in for a week-long free feeder bus and ferry service.
The Auckland Regional Transport Authority and the North Shore City Council are launching a four-week "try me" campaign next Monday to promote ferry use on the Shore.
Transport authority spokeswoman Sharon Hunter says the ferry promotion aims to achieve a two-fold objective.
"First, to encourage commuters to try the ferry as an alternative to driving over the harbour bridge and secondly, to reduce congestion, most particularly given the upcoming roadworks along Lake Rd."
The programme aims to increase patronage of Bayswater, Birkenhead, Northcote, Devonport, Half Moon Bay and Stanley Bay ferry services to the Auckland central business district.
Adshel posters promoting the ferry have gone up in 16 Shore bus shelters as part of the campaign.
Commuters need to register at the maxx website – maxx.co.nz/freeferry – to get a pass for week-long free rides. Registration starts at 9am on Monday and runs until September 12.
The weeks of free travel are August 31-September 6, September 7-13, 14-20, and 21-27.
Participating ferry feeder buses are the 779, 803, 804, 813, 815, 960 and 961.
Shore councillor Chris Darby, a long-time public transport advocate, says the campaign will go a long way to increasing ferry patronage among Shore commuters.
"Sitting reading the morning paper and sipping a warm coffee on the way to work sure beats sitting in congestion listening to talkback radio.
"Grabbing a seat on a ferry feeder bus takes away the angst of searching for a hard to find carpark at the ferry terminal and provides for a totally integrated journey," he says.