New Transperth ferry tender goes to market

Local manufacturers are being encouraged to apply to build a new ferry for the Transperth fleet. 

The ferry will become the third in the fleet after the MV Shelley Taylor-Smith and the MV Phillip Pendal.

It will replace the ageing MV Shelley Taylor-Smith, which is 20-years-old this year and will be retained and used as a reserve when demand is high for special events.

The ferries will be rotated through service, with a third vessel allowing Transperth greater flexibility during regular maintenance periods.

The new ferry will have 148 seats and a toilet, meaning it can potentially be used for longer journeys than the current Elizabeth Quay-South Perth route, should that be required in the future.

A new shelter has recently been installed at the Mends Street Jetty in South Perth to make travel on the ferry even more comfortable for passengers.

The ferry is a crowd favourite - in Transperth's recent passenger survey, 99 per cent of passengers said they were satisfied with the service.