Comment posted Russell nails the ‘bloody disgrace’ of Craignure ferry gangway by Robert Wakeham.
The responsibility for major ferry termini that form part of our national infrastructure seems to be shambolic.
The likes of Craignure terminal shouldn’t be in the hands of a local council – especially one that treats it as a ‘cash cow’ at the expense of its own taxpayers.
The government should take over ownership and responsibilty – and the liability for outstanding essential repair / replacement work should be deducted from the price paid to the council. I wonder if the arithmetic would look as favourable to our council as funding the work and keeping the annual revenue? It is our money, Mr Walsh.
Robert Wakeham also commented
- Surely the point is that, whatever the form of ‘tax’, it’s all being levied by the council (as owner of the Craignure terminal) on the ferry users (either directly or indirectly via Calmac) but the council have failed to maintain fit-for-purpose passenger access to the ferry at Craignure. Money for nothing, just an extra tax on people who travel to and from an island.
Bloody disgrace is putting it mildly, and when Walsh & co get kicked out they should be made to help people on & off the ferry, and carry their bags. - Yes – and with the proviso that a ferry operator can also be responsible for the shore staff, to avoid the situation that arose at Rothesay when Calmac found themselves at the mercy of a shore staff dispute with the council.
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What a very sad piece from you newsroom.Disappointed you would use this as a SNP election advert but it is good to know where you stand.This shambles has affected locals and tourists alike and when calmac is funded by all taxpayers whatever way they vote to blatantly use it as a political stunt they obviously think our heads zip up the back.
Power to all the ferry passengers.
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Neil – the articles on this site contain a mixture of ‘news’ and ‘comment’ and I would have thought most readers are well able to filter the two from one another and disregard the bits they don’t agree with. It’s not easy to ‘comment’ on an issue without someone somewhere perceiving it as bias, but in this case I’m struggling to see what you are so exercised about. The article is basically news – as in: “MSP calls on council to fix dodgy gangway” – the MSP’s party is not part of the story. This is followed by ‘comment’, echoing Mr Russell’s call on the council to do something about the problem. The bias here seems to me to be no more than ‘For Argyll’
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Cant see much wrong with the article. Regarding the ‘canny ship jumper’ Mary jean devon, i wonder how the canny electorate will view the yo-yo ing back and forth by this elected member in the name of self preservation.
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The responsibility for major ferry termini that form part of our national infrastructure seems to be shambolic.
The likes of Craignure terminal shouldn’t be in the hands of a local council – especially one that treats it as a ‘cash cow’ at the expense of its own taxpayers.
The government should take over ownership and responsibilty – and the liability for outstanding essential repair / replacement work should be deducted from the price paid to the council. I wonder if the arithmetic would look as favourable to our council as funding the work and keeping the annual revenue? It is our money, Mr Walsh.
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We felt that the question in the Draft Ferry Review, now in consultation – about whether or not CMAL should acquire all of the ports and harbours served by the state subsidised ferry services deserved a resounding ‘Yes’.
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Yes – and with the proviso that a ferry operator can also be responsible for the shore staff, to avoid the situation that arose at Rothesay when Calmac found themselves at the mercy of a shore staff dispute with the council.
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calmac does not give the council landing dues, these are paid for by us the travelling public, calmac may pay berthing dues
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We used the term ‘harbour dues’ meaning ‘berthing dues’.
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Terms used are a bit confusing. Calmac has to add a sum to each ticket sold on this run. It is also applied twice for the outward and return. If you carry on to Iona the same applies there. There is also a sum they have to add for each vehicle carried because piers are owned by council. berthing dues are another charge calmac pay to tie up at the pier.
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Surely the point is that, whatever the form of ‘tax’, it’s all being levied by the council (as owner of the Craignure terminal) on the ferry users (either directly or indirectly via Calmac) but the council have failed to maintain fit-for-purpose passenger access to the ferry at Craignure. Money for nothing, just an extra tax on people who travel to and from an island.
Bloody disgrace is putting it mildly, and when Walsh & co get kicked out they should be made to help people on & off the ferry, and carry their bags.
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Nobody nailed Mike Russell yet for the ‘bloody disgrace’ that was Robslee and Hillhead???
Mmmmm?
No one going to have a go at the man responsible??
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Surely now this will be a done deal. I know I argued against SNP colleagues in the hustings (my ONLY disagreement in 5 years of working with them) but their insistence that this was indeed ABC’s responsibility can surely mean only one thing???
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