By The Star Staff
Puerto Rico Ferry announced Monday that as of Sept. 20 it had surpassed the total number of passengers for the year 2022, doing so with more than three months left in the year.
The number of passengers to date is 1.2 million, along with 81,000 cargo units.
The increase in ridership is consistent across all metro and island maritime transportation system services, with trips to and from Vieques and Culebra carrying more than 155,000 additional passengers year-over-year.
“Surpassing the number of passengers a year, in just nine months, is an outstanding achievement for our local crew and a sign that the system continues to increase its capacity as upgrades, maintenance programs and consistent policies come into effect,” said Matt Miller, president of HMS Ferries-Puerto Rico. “The maritime transportation system under the public-private partnership is demonstrating that it can meet the needs of the people of Puerto Rico even as we continue to make the improvements necessary for long-term sustainability.”
Monday’s announcement came shortly after the Integrated Transit Authority announced its new ticket transfer policy to increase the availability of unused tickets and limit the number of empty seats on board its vessels. Starting Oct. 8, passengers traveling on the island route can now transfer their unused tickets up to four hours before departure. Ferry passengers can purchase and transfer their tickets online (www.puertoricoferry.com), at the Puerto Rico Ferry ticket office, or on the City Experiences app.
The increase in the availability of unused tickets coincides with additional improvements that can be appreciated by ferry passengers, including improvements to terminals and staging areas, significant improvements in the reliability and consistency of schedules, and a near-perfect on-time departure rate.
“Our local team continues to transform the system on a daily basis,” Miller said. “While steady progress is being made, this increase in the number of users and our team’s ability to maintain reliability and consistency are excellent signs for the future of the system.”