LOOK at this awesome employee perk

Google employees who commute to Silicon Valley from San Francisco now have possibly the coolest way of getting to work.

Instead of battling the traffic and public transport, employees can now commute on a private, 83-foot catamaran, named “The Triumphant”.

The private (and free) ferry service can carry up to 150 passengers and runs twice every morning and evening, getting employees across the bay in under 50 minutes. When they dock, they can jump on a private bus which takes them right to their offices, KPIX-TV reported.

But the company’s move into aquatic commuting will depend on how much employees use the new service and how it affects other travellers.

“We certainly don't want to cause any inconvenience to San Francisco residents and we're trying alternative ways to get Googlers to work,” a Google representative said in a statement Wednesday, KPIX-TV said.

Additionally, other local commuters are worried about the use of the catamaran, as they are concerned it is worse for the environment than providing additional shuttle buses as an alternative.

All American Marine/YouTube

Nevertheless, this latest perk raises the question about commuting here in Singapore – could we be making more use of the Singapore River to get to work in the CBD?

According to Channel News Asia, three out of 10 CBD commuters take Singapore’s water taxis to work, using one of the two water taxi companies available.

River Explorer operations director Terence Ng told CNA there are up to 16,000 passengers a month on water taxis, but he is hoping to increase awareness about this method of transport.

The water taxis have a total of 24 stops along the Singapore River and Marina Bay.