RiverCity Ferries: Steering the Course of Brisbane’s Public Transport on the River

Edition 2: May 2024

by Nikki Meyer

RiverCity Ferries (RCF) operates ferry services on the iconic Brisbane River under contract with Brisbane City Council, the largest council by population in Australia (and the Southern hemisphere) with almost 10,000 employees. Since the start of their contract in November 2020, RCF has been entrusted with the operation and maintenance of the ferry services including a fleet of 32 vessels and the infrastructure for an initial term of five years, with the potential for two additional five-year extensions.

RCF’s contract includes stringent key performance indicators (KPIs) focusing on safety, service reliability, customer satisfaction, and maintenance compliance. The team is dedicated to exceeding these standards and is committed to delivering consistent quality levels and efficient service delivery to help secure contract extensions.

Services and Operations

RCF’s operations span 22 ferry terminals over a 23km stretch of the river, which takes an average of 1.5 hours to traverse on a CityCat ferry, end-to-end. Supported by approximately 250 employees across various roles from crew operations to administration, the fleet includes:

• 26 CityCats (Gen 1 and 2 catamarans),
• 5 KittyCat,
• 1 maintenance workboat.

RCF provides ferry services 20 hours a day, every day of the year. The fleet carries approximately 10k – 15k passengers daily, with over 431 services running each weekday, totalling an average of 365 operating hours weekly.

Recognition and Accolades

In 2023, RCF achieved ISO accreditation in:

• Quality Management
• Environmental Management
• Occupational Health and Safety Management, and
• Asset Management.

In 2023, RCF received the Travellers’ Choice award for Top Attractions in Brisbane from TripAdvisor, with the CityCat and CityHopper services both ranking in the Top 10.

Future Outlook

As Brisbane prepares to host the 2032 Olympic Games, RiverCity Ferries is poised to play a key role in showcasing Brisbane as a world-class host city, enhancing the visitor experience with reliable and scenic river transport.

Welcome to the SeaLink Marine & Tourism family!