Vitali Taks, reviewer of Morskiye Vesti On August 9, regular passenger service was launched at St. Petersburg waterways. Test running of several routs was started including water bus lines linking St. Petersburg, Kronshtadt, and Lomonosov as well as Elagin island and the city center. It is the first step to implementation of a municipal program aimed at the development of water transport and provisioning for a launch of over ten routes. Kronshtadt-Lomonosov service was very popular in early 90-ies. However, it was not profitable for private companies as citizens interested in this service could not pay much for it. Almost half of water bus passengers are privileged persons. Comprehension of the situation encouraged the decision on municipal donation of major services. Olga Karganova, Director General of Russian Cruises The idea of this service revival was born long time ago. Today’s situation is quite favorable from both the project’s economical point of view and the demand for this service. Transport situation in the city streets is getting more complicated from year to year which makes us search for new solutions of traffic jams and congestions. Not so long age our program told about taking of cargo transport from Vasiljevski island. Of course, water transport cannot be a comprehensive alternative for land transport. However, in certain cases its comfort and speed is not only equal but even higher as compared with that of land transport. What are other ways to get from St. Petersburg center to Kronshtadt for 35 minutes with a ticket costing only 80 rubles?! Vasili Kazimirov, correspondent of Morskiye Vesti The new water bus service is considered to be an experiment so far. The vessels run under test basis. It is a part of a municipal program on the development of passenger river transport. New water bus services may unload land transport and solve the problem of traffic jams in the city center. St. Petersburg is a city with an extensive potential for water transport development. Unfortunately, the opportunities are not always rationally used. Nowadays, there are plenty of vessels not meeting safety or ecology standards. The new program targeted at the development of passenger river service will make it possible for water transport to be more affordable for passengers and profitable for the city. Olga Karganova, Director General of Russian Cruises St. Petersburg being considered as Russia’s marine capital cannot exist without water transport. It is desirable here to count on pace set up by the Transit Transport Committee as regards the policy on working out of a unified conception and perspective directions for water transport development. Unfortunately, navigation period is very short (actually, from April till October) but the launch of new services could make it more intensive and profitable for citizens.
