Report INTERFACE PLUS. Axis Kołobrzeg / Darłowo / Ustka Nexø. Study trip on ferry terminal design

Transcription

1 c/o Public Transport Association Warnow Lead Beneficiary Stampfmüllerstraße 40 D Rostock Phone: Fax: info@verkehrsverbund-warnow.de Agenda: Report INTERFACE PLUS Axis Kołobrzeg / Darłowo / Ustka Nexø Study trip on ferry terminal design Ystad Helsingborg Helsingør Fåborg Svendborg Spodsbjerg Tårs Ystad DAY 1: 25 May :45 Meeting in Ystad (in front of BornholmFærgen Fast Ferry Terminal) 15:00 Introductory session Overview on the programme of the study trip Methodology and results of the foot passenger service-related ferry port benchmark study of the INTERFACE project Presentations by Henrik Armbrecht, Jens Masuch, PLANCO Consulting Ltd. Questions, answers, discussions 16:00 On-site visit Ystad Bornholm terminal (BornholmerFærgen) New building for fast ferry with passenger / car / cargo transportation Świnoujście terminal (Polferries, Unity Lines) Terminal for conventional passenger / car / cargo ferry Meeting with Johan Lundqvist, Ystad Hamn Logistik AB (terminal operator) Visit of terminals with reference to the INTERFACE benchmark study 18:00 Transfer to Helsingborg (joint travel by mini bus) 19:30 Joint dinner (self-paying) Overnight stay in Helsingborg DAY 2: 26 May :00 Meeting at hotel, joint walk from the hotel to the ferry terminal 10:00 Ferry passage Helsingborg - Helsingør Joint travel as foot passengers with the passenger ferry of Sundbusserne 10:30 On-site visit Helsingør Helsingør passenger ferry terminal (Sundbusserne) Passenger ferry terminal in the proximity of the train station Meeting with Benny Carlsen, Helsingør Havn (terminal operator) and Tom Hansen (architect) Joint visit of the terminal with explanations by the operator / architect 11:45 Lunch (upon invitation of Helsingør Havn) 12:30 Transfer to Fåborg (joint travel by mini bus)

2 Page 2 16:00 On-site visit Fåborg Ærø terminal (Ærøfærgerne, Ø-Færgen) Recently built small-scale terminal for the combined passenger / car / cargo service to the island of Ærø Meeting with Lasse Olsen, Fåborg Havn (terminal operator) Joint visit of the terminal with explanations by the operator 17:30 Transfer to the hotel in Svendborg (joint travel by mini bus) 18:30 Dinner (self-paying) 19:30 Joint reflections on the terminal plans in Ustka and Darłowo Presentation of the current state of planning in Ustka and Darłowo Reflections and peer reviews against the background of the impressions and lessons learnt during the study trip Short presentations on the state of planning by Tomasz Breszka (Municipality of Darłowo), Maciej Karaś (Municipality of Ustka) Questions, answers, comments, joint discussion and review 21:15 Optional: On-site visit Svendborg Ærø terminal (Ærøfærgerne) Small-scale terminal for the combined passenger / car / cargo service to the island of Ærø Joint visit of the terminal during the embarkation of the evening ferry Overnight stay in Svendborg DAY 3: 26 May :15 Transfer to Spodsbjerg (joint travel by mini bus) 09:15 Ferry passage Spodsbjerg - Tårs Joint travel as car passengers with the combined passenger / car / cargo ferry of LangelandsFærgen 10:00 Transfer to Ystad ferry terminal (joint travel by mini bus) 13:00 Arrival at Ystad ferry terminal, end of study trip List of participants

3 Page 3 1. Introduction INTERFACE benchmark study As introduction to the topic and the study trip, Henrik Armbrecht (PLANCO Consulting Ltd.) presents methodology and results of the Foot passenger service-related ferry port benchmark study of the parent project INTERFACE. The study examined quality standards and performance of port facilities as part of the service chain for foot passengers. Ports that were examined include Rostock / DE, Gedser / DK, Trelleborg / SE, Ystad / SE, Karlskrona / SE, Gdynia / PL, Swinoujcie / PL, Hoek van Holland / NL and Harwich / UK. Performance benchmarks were investigated with regard to hinterland transportation (service components: public transport connection, public transport information, public transport guidance, public transport convenience, non-public transport facilities and handicapped accessibility), terminals (service components: terminal convenience and services, terminal information, terminal guidance, terminal handicapped accessibility), boarding / disembarkation (service components: boarding / disembarkation information and guidance, boarding / disembarkation convenience, boarding / disembarkation handicapped accessibility). The study revealed a significant scope for improvements in the examined ports and terminals in the South Baltic area, especially with regard to public transport alignment and terminal buildings. The North Sea terminals in Hoek van Holland and Harwich provide the best service level among the examined examples, followed by the facilities in Gdynia and Karlskrona. Presentation (including pictures of good and bad examples) and study are available at 2. Ystad: Bornholm fast ferry terminal (BornholmerFærgen) Johan Lundqvist, Ystad Hamn Logistik AB (port / terminal operator) introduces the port and the ferry terminal by means of a short presentation and a guided tour.

4 Page 4 Main characteristics / history of the building / interesting features: The terminal is purpose-built for handling the passengers of the fast ferry service of BornholmerFærgen from Ystad to Rønne. It was opened in the year The terminal handles more than 1 million passengers per year and a peak of passengers per day. Its construction is to be seen in the context of the reorganisation of the ferry services to Bornholm after the opening of the Öresund Bridge, which included also the closure of the car / passenger ferry line Copenhagen - Rønne. The target was to enable a travel time between Copenhagen and Bornholm of 3 hours. The fast ferry schedule is therefore harmonised with a shuttle bus service from / to Copenhagen central station. The shuttle busses arrive and depart 15 minutes before departure / after arrival of the fast ferry in Ystad, right in front of the terminal entrance. The vast majority of foot passengers use the shuttle services, but especially during the summer season there are also other passengers without car seen. They arrive either by private car or general public transport. Par parks and train / bus station are to be found within 5 minutes walking distance from the fast ferry terminal. As the majority of passengers only rushes through the building from the shuttle bus without any waiting times, there are almost no service offers in the terminals (e.g. no shop). Special attention, however, was paid to an efficient and fast handling of passengers. Their luggage has to be left / picked by the passengers on trolleys before / after they enter / leave the ferry. Tickets are checked electronically. BornholmerFærgen introduces a new fast ferry with almost doubled capacity from 22 June 2011.

5 Page 5 3. Ystad: Conventional ferry terminal (Unity Lines, Polferries, BornholmerFærgen) Johan Lundqvist, Ystad Hamn Logistik AB (port / terminal operator) introduces the terminal in a short guided tour. Main characteristics / history of the building / interesting features: The terminal was built in the 1960s. It served originally the entire services both to Świnoujście and Rønne, and thus also significant numbers of passengers. However, after the inauguration of the fast ferry service to Bornholm, only few passengers traveling to Bornholm without car are using the conventional ferries and are still handled by the building (fast ferry has a separate terminal, see above). As also on the Poland connections, the main focus is on freight and car accompanied passengers, the passenger volumes handled through the terminal are rather low today. The terminal is located in approx minutes walking distance from the city centre and the train station. Its service facilities include a waiting area, sanitary facilities, a small shop, currency exchange and ticket offices of the ferry operators Unity Lines and Polferries. The terminal has not been refurbished for a long time, but some small improvements are planned in the future. The terminal has been examined within the INTERFACE benchmark study, where further details on its service standards and performance can be found (see above, study available at

6 INTERFACE PLUS 4. Helsingør: Passenger ferry terminal (Sundbusserne) The on-site visit of the terminal in Helsingør includes a guided tour through the building and a meeting / discussion round with Benny Carlsen (Helsingør Havn, port / terminal operator), Tom Hansen (architect) and Geir Jansen (CEO of the ferry operator Sundbusserne A/S, current tenant of the terminal). Main characteristics / history of the building / interesting features: The terminal was opened in It was built and originally also owned by Sundbusserne / Moltzau Lines for serving the passenger-only ferry service between Helsingborg / SE and Helsingør / DK, with a crossing time of 20 minutes and a strong element of leisure trips of the local population. After the bankruptcy of the old Sundbusserne company / Ace Link in 2009 it was bought by the city and is now rented out to the successor company Sundbusserne A/S, which reopened the service in Because of its prominent location at the waterfront just opposite to the train station and next to the old town of Helsingør, the city put very much attention to high quality urban design and architecture when the terminal was constructed. In the end, a building in steel and glass was created, which architectural quality is widely known and accepted as of high standard. It is even used for educating architect students. Page 6

7 Page 7 The building is dominated by large grass fronts and steel construction, including a bridge over the water leading to the main entrance. Its ground area is used 50% for the passengers (calculation for the waiting area: about 1 m² per passenger), the rest are back areas (storages, office space for the ferry operator, service areas like e.g. a kitchen for preparing food that is sold on the ferries). The building costs amounted to approx DKK (1.300 EUR) per m² when it was constructed, implying total building costs of approx. 4-6 million DKK in The performance of the building is regarded as very good. The glass / steel construction leads to very low costs for maintenance / refurbishments of the building (almost no painting necessary). However, the windows do not comply with latest isolation standards anymore after 20 years since the construction. Thus, it is considered to exchange them in order to lower the heating costs. This investment is regarded both useful and worthwhile, as the rather high heating costs are the only small disadvantage of the building. When asked for reviewing the basic design, all parties confirmed that it could well be built again as it was planned 20 years ago and would still be regarded as a very good and functional building. Perhaps the small shop in the waiting area would be replaced or accompanied by a coffee shop from today s perspective. Otherwise, its functionality is outstanding. The shop is operated by the ferry operator Sundbusserne A/S, the as a small profit center. It offers mainly liquors, wine and beer (only top sellers) and used 99% by Swedish passengers that buy something just before taking the ferry back to Helsingborg. The prices that can be offered are higher than in the city centre, as the turnover is rather small. So it is not really an alternative to the shops in the city for budget-conscious costumers, but still an alternative to on board sales for last minute buyers. Geir Janson from Sundbusserne A/S implied that the shop may not have taken up again when re-opening the service in 2010, if the room would not have been in place and equipped already. It is currently cost neutral rather than generating profits for the ferry company, because the shop on the ship is operated in parallel and kind of competition. Sundbusserne A/S has placed all company functions inside the terminal and uses its office and service spaces. This opportunity provided by the building is regarded as very helpful as thus they can easily follow their day-to-day

8 Page 8 business and operations. Furthermore, the food to be sold on the ferry is prepared in a fully equipped kitchen that is integrated into the terminal. For the future, the part of the terminal next to the train station will be converted into a coffee shop, which will be served from the same kitchen and operated by Sundbusserne A/S. It should not only become another profit center, but also make the terminal and the ferry more visible for the public. It is, therefore, kind of an additional marketing measure for the ferry service. The representative of Sundbusserne A/S stresses that nice terminal facilities can of course be regarded as a service plus by costumers, but passengers may rather not be willing to pay extra for them. It is therefore very important to see what is really necessary for serving the needs of the passengers on the specific route. In the case of the re-launched Sundbusserne service with its current shape and concept (main features: cost effectiveness, low fares, many repeaters / long-term costumers), for instance, it may even have been sufficient and been considered to place simple sheds. However, terminals have been in place and no investments necessary. So it was decided to us them and to take over from the predecessor service. 5. Faaborg: Island ferries terminal (Ærøfærgerne, Ø-Færgen) The on-site visit in Faaborg includes a guided tour through the port area and a meeting / discussion round with Lasse Olsen (Fåborg Havn, port / terminal operator).

9 Page 9 Main characteristics / history of the building / interesting features: The terminal was built in It is owned by the port authority. The whole investments, which included also extensive construction work on the ferry berths / piers, amounted to approx. 10 million DKK (~1,3 million EUR). The building includes a small and simple waiting area for passengers (with a small glass / wood tower), some small office space and storages. It is located directly at the ferry berth, some 20 meters away. As it is used for small island services, it has no fence / IPSS requirements. A bus stop is right in front of the building. Passengers can use the building as waiting area, but do not have to pass through the building for getting on the ferry. Tickets can be bought on the ferry, but not in the terminal. The port authority is generally satisfied with the building and its performance. However, the black wood panels at its outside walls proved to require a lot of care, which makes the maintenance costly. They have to be painted at least once every year. Already a different colour could solve the problem, but it is not possible to change it as it should fit to the other (new) buildings in the port area, which has been redeveloped in the last year (new offices and flats). 6. Reflection: Conclusions / lessons learnt for the terminals of the Bornholm Poland services A collection of relevant comments and conclusions of the participants and hosts in the discussions during the study trip: It is the task of the ferry company to serve the passengers, whereas it is the task of the port operator to provide services for the ferry companies. There is, therefore, in most of the cases no direct service relation between the port operator and the passenger. If the ferry company owns or operates the terminal, therefore, it may be expected that it pays attention on designing and keeping it in a nice way, with the effect that the standards may be higher. The result of the INTERFACE benchmark study, in which the terminals owned / operated by Stena Line received highest marks, may suggest such interpretation and support this hypothesis. To look at ferry terminals as part of a service chain for foot passengers enables new perspectives and puts new aspects into the centre of attention (e.g. public transport alignment or the location of the building in relation to public transport facilities like the train station). Making the most of this

10 Page 10 approach implies to see the construction of the building not as an isolated process, but as part of shaping and implementing a consistent ferry concept. This suggest to head for an intensive and constant dialogue with other relevant actors (e.g. ferry operators, public transport providers etc.) already in the planning and construction phase of the terminal. Public transport alignment for passenger ferry services is an interesting and important feature that raises the service quality and the attractiveness of the route. However, not all foot passengers arrive by public transport. Safe and affordable car parks in the proximity of ferry terminals, therefore, are important for foot passengers, too. When planning new terminals, proper handicapped accessibility is imperative. A new EU directive on this issue will come into force soon and may otherwise create unnecessary follow up costs. It could be considered to allow profit centres for the operators in the terminals (e.g. a small border shop or a coffee shop). However, shops or restaurants that are not operated by the ferry operators in the terminal building may be disliked by the operators since they would compete with sales on board. Low maintenance and operating costs of the terminal building are very important for operators, especially if the profitability of the routes is critical. This suggests constructing the building just as large as necessary for providing all required services in an acceptable way. Also the materials and the construction can contribute to this (wood vs. glass and metal) and should be reviewed / chosen from this perspective.