Passenger ferry (researching places with more demand than current service?)

[sundipkumar]

hi i have a project to design a passenger ferry.I hav to select a route where i should ply my vessel.I want my vessel to serve some significant purpose like in place where there are too much of passenger willing to travel but very less service

 

[michael pierzga]

Huge waterfront cities were road transportation is clogged with vehicles and its faster to take a water shuttle.

Perhaps a city like Istanbul that is located on two continents.

 

[sundipkumar]

Can somebody help me with deciding the route

 

[sundipkumar]

Thanks michael i will check that out if you got any specific route pls post it

 

[sundipkumar]

Its not compulsory that the route should be new one which i have to discover,it can be existing one but in real need of more ferries

 

[FMS]

Specify whether you are looking for suggestions for a student project or whether you are looking for recommendations for market research firms for a professional project.

 

[sundipkumar]

actually its student project but i have to explain certain specific reasons of why i choose the particular route

 

[rwatson]

I think the challenge is a bit more complicated.

There are heaps of need for more boats in many routes, but unless the cost of the boat and crew can be recouped with fares, it isnt viable.

You could try refugees from Indonesia to Australia as an exercise. They are willing to pay a lot for very cheap boats - and the demand is growing

 

[gonzo]

Try to narrow the passenger target group. For example, you can have foreign tourist that want to see a river, or it may be locals that need to be able to go to work in town economically. These groups, and their needs will determine the area and the type of service.

 

[philSweet]

As an exercise, wouldn't you learn more by finding where the most ferries are and studying how they compete with one another and try to find a niche that can be exploited? changing costs, better production of boats, changes in demographics, infrastructure issues, politics, environmental concerns- these things drive trends. An underserved area would need all new infrastructure most likely, and you would have to create the demand. And there isn't any such thing as a profitable transport market that isn't being served in some capacity, but perhaps not very efficiently. A cursory look at what is required to actually own, licence and operate a ferry vessle would be prudent as well.

Martha's Vineyard? Not a bad place to study ferries.

 

[hoytedow]

Plan a mainly tourist ferry route from Tampa to Fort Myers to Key West(all in the State of Florida). Don't forget to plan the passenger landings.