HONOLULU -- The city transportation director said it costs $42 to subsidize each passenger riding TheBoat, the city's ferry system.

Federal funds paid for TheBoat's first year as a pilot project. However, now Oahu taxpayers must fund the boat at a cost of $5 million a year.

City Transportation Director Wayne Yoshioka said TheBoat is worthwhile part of Oahu's entire transportation system.

"By providing this alternative path, we can hopefully free up some of our buses. We can hopefully free up some of our buses to provide better regional feeder services within the community, which we really want to do with the buses," Yoshioka said. "I think people want whatever service they want from the city. They want it on the cheap, and nothing comes cheap. So, we are trying to have them avail themselves of this option. We are quite aware of the cost."

Councilman Charles Djou said it might be worthwhile to use all the money spent on TheBoat to improve the city's bus system.

City officials said that in its first year, TheBoat carried 56,000 passengers -- an average of 335 passengers a day. That is about a third of the 900 passengers TheBoat could carry running all routes full.