Ferry passengers are battling to have a more user-friendly service which they believe will persuade more people onto the water.

West End commuters have long fought to get extra ferries and more convenient scheduling, and now they are trying to convince Marine and Ports officials to look again at the route.

Their plea comes as a two-week trial of a later, evening service gets underway. The 6 p.m. departure from Hamilton to the West End, which normally runs through the summer, was given a reprieve after pleas from travellers.

But some commuters would like to see the service run for a longer trial, through until Christmas and to leave the city at a later time to allow for people finishing work at 6 p.m.

Somerset passenger Frances Burgess is hoping officials will ignore the cost of running the extra service and extend it.

"The whole problem is the scheduling. Many business are knocking off at 6 p.m. and now the summer is over they want to cancel the service,'' she said.

And she called for the morning service, which is scheduled to arrive in Hamilton at 8.50 a.m., to run earlier to ensure workers have time to make their workplace.

Marine and Ports assistant director Mike Dolding said scheduling was a difficult issue, since what was convenient for one person may not be for another.

But he said his department was happy to accede to commuters' requests, if that was what the majority wanted and it was possible.

He added that he had received no requests for a change in scheduling apart from the plea for the 6 p.m. service to be continued.

"We will endeavour to give the travelling public the best service we can with what we have got. If they see a better way of doing things, we would consider that option,'' he said.

A ferry commuters' survey currently being held by the National Transportation Committee will give a better idea of what passengers want from the service.

The results are likely to help Marine and Ports staff tailor the future service better, rather than individual requests.

Mr. Dolding said he hoped "ridership'' of the trial would be good, to enable Marine and Ports to argue to the Government to continue the service.

Last year, he said, when the slot was run for an extra two weeks, around ten people a night used the ferry -- which cost $300 per trip.

And although the department could absorb the cost for a two-week trial, a longer period running into several thousand dollars would be more difficult.