Comment posted Revised service schedule for Kilcreggan Ferry by ferryman.
Have people who use the Kilcreggan ferry organised in any way?
In Dunoon the Community Council called a public meeting and from that an action group was formed.
ferryman also commented
- There was an incident at Dunoon some years back when the AliCat was first introduced on the Dunoon route. A rope was said to have snapped when people were disembarking. If I remember rightly a woman said that if she had taken her child off first, in a buggy, they would have been killed as the boat crashed into the pier.
The incident got raised in questions in the House of Commons and the Council placed restrictions on AliCat’s use.
Why somebody though it would be a good idea to try to run the current frequent service with her beats me.
Good luck with your service, I think we are all going to need some.
Recent comments by ferryman
- Reminder: Argyll Ferries on ‘refit’ service schedule
The scottish Government has failed to deliver on the transferable ferry tickets it was going to setup. The bus scheme is a bodge that adds anything upto two hours to travel time.Any news on what they are going to do for Cowal Games or are they just going to try another gamble on the weather.
- New Campbeltown ferry pilot – a whale beached before it starts
They did not refuse to give car/ferry passenger service to Dunoon – they took it away!They went back on a maniefesto committment to provide new vehicle ferries and then to cap it all they made an incompetent botch by putting in a totally and uttery unreliable passenger only service.
- Inexplicable blame game from MSP on lack of cross-ticketing on Dunoon ferries
“no carrier could justify running a heavier and thirstier craft than necessary”The “than necessary” is the critical point. If you are specifying a commuter service to get people to and from work, hospital college etc. then it is necessary and perfectly possible to specify vessels able to operate reliably on the Clyde.
What you do not do is accept vessels which regularly and repeatedly fail to run for days at a time.
Newsroom wrote “physical facts are the physical facts”, they are indeed and the current bathtubs are far too small for reliable operation. In any case the Ali Cat was operating unreliably on the route already so her current performance is no surprise.
- Inexplicable blame game from MSP on lack of cross-ticketing on Dunoon ferries
I take exception to your statement that “The Argyll Ferries’ passenger boats, being necessarily lighter craft, are more prone to delay and cancellation in a bit of a blow”.Transport Scotland should have specified vessels able to provide a reliable service. They did not hence the problem.
Also the gentleman referred to in the article in the Observer concluded by saying he did not want a lot of energy devoted to cross ticketing etc he wanted it devoted to the getting his town centre ferry service taking him to the trains to work.
That of course makes sense because even if he could transfer totally reliably to and from Western at no cost at all he would still be late for work.
- Western Ferries: new sailings, inflation rises in fares – and protection for concessions
“the consensus seemed to be that they would be too expensive to be used as passenger only ferries”Exactly. Here you have ferries known to be reliable in the sea conditions on the route, able to operate at a fantastic profit when carrying vehicles but not economic carrying only passengers.
AF are suspended again today, they were off all day yesterday, because they use bathtubs not remotely suited for the purpose to which they are being put.
The sensible thing is to use larger ferries on the town centre route and let them carry vehicles. As CalMac demonstrated, before the Government of the day stopped them, putting on more sailings increased revenue and cut subsidy.
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The “new” timetable means that all students or workers with the reasonable requirement to reach Glasgow before now need to catch the 07.12 sailing and then wait 23 minutes in Gourock station before boarding the 07.47 train. For over 30 years commuters were able to catch the 07.48 ferry and then catch the 08.08 train.
In the evening the last train is now 17.05 which makes commuting by ferry and train impossible.
All of this whatever the operator may aver relates to the unsuitability of the Island Princess to serve our community allied to the decision of Argyll Bute Council to make the Kilcreggan Piermaster.
The inevitable outcome of all of this will be a lack of passengers which will in due course allow officials to declare that the route is no longer viable when the irrefutable evidence is that the SPT decision was based purely on the lowest tender rather that ensuring an outcome beneficial to the communities in Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute requiring a safe and reliable service.
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This lack of coordination between ferry and train services is absolutely shameful.
As the government apparently took control of the train service out of SPTE’s hands, presumably there’s great scope for finger-pointing, but surely the buck stops with Holyrood?
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Surely you have verified Clydelink’s statement with the MCA before you posted?
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My previous post should have referred to early morning commuters requiring to reach Glasgow before 9am. Also I omitted to state that the Piermaster is serving his redundancy notice!!
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The spin given by Clydelink regarding the need for the new timetable is rich when it suggests that the use of four ropes will be forced on ALL operators shortly by MCA. Who are we talking about(?) surely not Argyll Ferries and Western Ferries! The reality is that the Island Princess has been found wanting hence the safety edict from MCA.
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Absolutely Harry. The more likely ‘truth’ is that because of failure to operate safely in line with MCA guidelines, Clydelink have been fored to operate thisway to ensure safety of the travelling public.
What will it take for SPT to terminate this contract? Will it take an accident, injury or worse?
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Jamie, before you make a comment like that, have you taken the time to ask the MCA?
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I am utterly astounded at the proposed removal of the very vital 8.20am sailing which has served, not only those who commute to the college, but many others who have always taken this sailing to catch the 8.36am train at Gourock. Why on earth have Clydelink not prioritized the commuter periods, which after all, carry the most passengers. How much extra time does this 4 rope carry-on add to berthing time anyway, and is it REALLY so necessary to cut our service like this?
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There needs to be more co-ordinate action between the Kilcreggan Gourock and Dunoon Gourock ferry users, along with those whose routes that are soon to be put out to tender.
The Dunoon route seemed designed to fail and it looks like a similar fate was planned for Kilcreggan. Totally inadequate arrangements have been made in both cases. Why is the Transport Minister not looking at the transport network as a whole rather than going for least cost on individual ferry routes?
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Have people who use the Kilcreggan ferry organised in any way?
In Dunoon the Community Council called a public meeting and from that an action group was formed.
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i skippered the island princess between lymington and the isle of wight for many years as a regular ferry service across a stretch of water that is a higher catagory than she is on now and im sure far more challenging, we ran from a pier and were always on time, she was a good reliable boat that always kept to time! we also just used to use two ropes as its all that is required, and its all that most operaters use, this has always been fine but can you imagine how catastophic it would be if one snapped whilst unloading, it would not be worth thinking about! i think its great that the mca are requesting operaters to use four ropes.
if a rope did snap whilst one of your friends, collegues, or yourself was boarding you would all have alot to say about how “unsafe” the island princess is. poor clydelink can never win seems a tad unfair
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There was an incident at Dunoon some years back when the AliCat was first introduced on the Dunoon route. A rope was said to have snapped when people were disembarking. If I remember rightly a woman said that if she had taken her child off first, in a buggy, they would have been killed as the boat crashed into the pier.
The incident got raised in questions in the House of Commons and the Council placed restrictions on AliCat’s use.
Why somebody though it would be a good idea to try to run the current frequent service with her beats me.
Good luck with your service, I think we are all going to need some.
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Alvin are you real or an invention of clydelink? A phonecall will soon verify your credentials
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