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Waiheke Island ferry users will sail to Auckland with a coffin on Monday morning in protest at fare rises of up to 14.7 per cent.
Fullers Ferries blames hefty fuel and maintenance cost increases for average fare rises of 12.7 per cent on its Waiheke services, and of 9.8 per cent on its Devonport and Stanley Bay runs, to and from Auckland.
But regular Waiheke commuters such as Cathy Urquhart fear a $44 increase to the price of a monthly ferry pass _ to $344 _ will force families off the island and on to Auckland's congested roads.
She said yesterday that hundreds had signed petition forms to be borne to the ferry company's Auckland offices in a coffin symbolising "the death of diversity" of island residents and visitors if it became too costly to survive on Waiheke.
Although Fullers says the rises will be its first for more than two years, having been delayed as long as possible against a 70 per cent increase in diesel costs, Dr Urquhart said the previous hikes were similarly hefty.
Some Waiheke residents would be paying 50 per cent more to travel to Auckland than in 2002, and were being priced off the island.
Fullers managing director Doug Hudson said airlines and freight operators had raised their prices several months ago amid spiralling fuel costs, but his company had held off as long as possible.
"We hate this _ it's been a very big decision for us."
"We are not recovering all our costs because we are very aware of the need to be careful about pricing, otherwise we destroy patronage."
