3.3.10. Ferry Energy Use per PKT

Ferries are the most-energy-consuming modes in cities, though they are not so common. In Swedish cities, they consume, on average, 7.77 MJ/PKT versus a global figure of 4.60 MJ/PKT. In other European cities, they consume 4.88 MJ/PKT. Although ferry systems are not generally energy-efficient anywhere, they often form critical links across water bodies where bridges for traffic are not very practicable or desirable. Therefore, their energy conservation quality is realized more in substituting for long car trips that would otherwise be needed to circumvent water obstacles in cities.

It is important to note here that Table 3 shows minibuses to also be high energy consumers per PKT (7.16 MJ/PKT), but they are a category found only in the American cities and in Hong Kong in this study. However, this is due to the high-energy-consuming-demand-responsive bus systems in American cities that drive many millions of kilometers in low-density areas, picking up very few passengers.
