A transport company in New South Wales, Australia, has taken one of its passenger ferries out of service after it struck a wharf in Sydney’s Barangaroo area on Wednesday, May 31.
The incident involving Cheryl Salisbury, one of 10 new River-class ferries built for operation in Sydney Harbour, occurred at around 06:15 local time on Wednesday as it was manoeuvring to depart Barangaroo Wharf.
The vessel then became wedged in the wharf but was later extricated and brought to a local shipyard to undergo a damage assessment.
The ferry, which suffered a damaged bow, was not transporting passengers at the time of the incident. One crewmember was brought to hospital but has since been discharged.
Vessel operating company Transdev Sydney Ferries and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority have both begun separate investigations into the incident.
Built in Indonesia, the River-class ferries operated by Transdev have come under criticism after a number of design defects were identified in the months before the vessels officially entered service in 2021.
A state legislator said that the shapes and angles of the vessels’ wheelhouse windows, as well as the quality of the glass being used, create a glare that effectively prevents the bridge crew from seeing out of the wheelhouse during nighttime.
In some other reports, it was revealed that a number of the vessels had asbestos on board and were incapable of sailing underneath the bridges along Sydney’s Parramatta River during high tide and with passengers on their open upper decks.
