Chatham Area Transit will be running a reduced operating schedule next week for the Savannah Belles Ferry service.
Starting on Monday, April 18, the ferries will operate from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays. The regular 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. schedule is expected to resume on Saturday.
Next week’s schedule is being implemented as a result of a temporary staffing shortage.
CAT recognizes that not only tourists and Savannah Convention Center visitors will be impacted by the changes, but also workers who use the ferries to get to their jobs on Hutchinson Island, said CAT CEO Faye DiMassimo.
“Similar to the current experiences of transit agencies throughout the country, we are working to address staffing limitations,” DiMassimo said. “Our first obligation is to operate in a safe and efficient manner, making these short-term schedule adjustments necessary.”
As part of CAT’s initiatives to address workforce issues, the CAT Board approved a $500 referral bonus for bus operators and ferry captains who recruit a successful job candidate. That action came after the adoption in January of a $1,000 recruitment-retention bonus for new and existing employees.
CAT offers competitive compensation, health insurance, retirement plans, paid training and paid time off. The hourly pay rate for ferry captains starts at $18.98. Open ferry positions, as well as other career opportunities at CAT, can be found online www.catchacat.org/about-cat/cat-careers/.