SF Port Officials unanimously approved a plan on Tuesday to start the city’s first water taxi service. The tour boat company, Bay Quackers, will start by running a maritime taxi service between Pier 1 1/2, at the Ferry Building and the Hyde Street Harbor at Fisherman’s Wharf.
John Scannell, Bay Quackers owner, hopes eventually to provide connections across the bay to Tiburon, Sausalito, Berkely and Oakland. “For people who miss a ferry, work late or have a social agenda, we want to be Plan B,” he said.
The SF agreement will give the company landing rights for five years, with an option for an additional five. The port will receive 7 percent of his gross revenue and he must begin operations within 6 months. It looks like it may happen within the next 2-3 months.
To start, the boats will be small – holding 6 to 12 passengers each but there is the potential for larger boats to be used in the future, according to Scannell. The cost of the service has not been finalized but Scannell estimated a one way trip from SF to Oakland might cost about $18.
Other ideas in the works include an “SFO by H2O” service that would bring passengers to the airport by traveling down the peninsula.
