Comment posted Transport Scotland non ‘economic impact analysis’ of 2007 A83 landslide by ferryman.
There was a driver of a commercial van looking for a ferry at the CalMac pier this morning. I sent him along to Western. He was concerned about prices but I could not advise him as they don’t publish commercial rates on their website. It is a bit much that as people have to turn up before finding out how much it will cost.
I have heard the commercial rates are high and, if they are, we all end up paying through increased costs for goods and services.
I have every sympathy with Lochgoilhead. No doubt the newroom position is that you are spoilt for choice with roads and ferry services.
ferryman also commented
- “The hotel hired Loch Lomond Seaplanes to deliver the champagne to Inveraray pier.”
Does that mean it was cheaper to fly things in than to take a van over on Western Ferries? WF don’t display their commercial rates on their website, perhaps they don’t want to make the natives restless by advertising the surcharge on goods moving in and out of Cowal.
- “The A83 is the only route in and out of – and right through Argyll down to Campbeltown, from the central belt.”
No, it is possible to cross the Firth of Clyde by vehicle ferry though that has now been reduced by the Government and Transport Scotland to a single monopoly operator with no price/profit control.
“it notes but does not quantify that there will have been some additional traffic on the Cowal ferries during the closure at the Rest. Everyone’s proverbial granny could have told us that – and did.”
Of course Transport Scotland did not quantify it because it would have been embarrassing to highlight that an important part of the transport network had been made into a monopoly.
“Transport Scotland civil servants, on this evidence, don’t know what an economic impact study demands and have no reason to suspect that MSPs know any better?”
Probably both. Transport Scotland are imcompetent and they know our MSP Michael Russell daydreams about tunnels.
Are you suggesting Newsroom that the Government is underinvesting in the West of Scotland and going about things in an incompetent manner? Would that not be an exaggeration after all they are thinking about doing something, sometime and if the A83 is closed you have alternatives of the A82 and the monopoly ferry service. Many communities would give their eye teeth for such a selection surely?
Recent comments by ferryman
- Argyll Flyer in Ardmaleish boatyard
Will the current linkspan works be completed by Friday 21/June?Working on the linkspan while the Argyll Flyer was having its recent scheduled maintenance would have made sense, but they did not do it.
Bring forward maintenance on the Argyll Flyer by a minimum of 6 months and more than likely 8-9 months seems odd.
Why are they not waiting till September to work on the Argyll Flyer. That is closer to when she is due her maintenance and I hear the Gourock linkspan will be out of action again then?
- Shetland Line remains in legal contention with Scottish Government on Northlink Ferries tender
Regarding the Dunoon Gourock ferry service one of the ‘needs and requirements’ the Scottish Government failed to specify was that the vessels employed could actually operate reliably in the weather on the Firth of Clyde.How incompetent is that!
- Argyll Flyer spotted going into Ardmaleish yard on Bute this afternoon
The Ali Cat was having technical problems whilst the Argyll Flyer was being maintained recently, resulting in periods of no service.
Following its maintenance the Argyll Flyer was indeed continuing to suffer technical problems.
The linkspan at Gourock is now being serviced with the result that the Argyll ferries is, once again running a reduced service. This happened right through the Dunoon Film Festival.
It is beyond belief that the Argyll Flyer maintenance and the repairs to the linkspan should not have been planned to run concurrently and without clashing with the Film Festival. - Scottish Government forced to intervene on loose-mouthed Russell gaffe in Campbeltown
JimB asked “why does Dunoon not set out to attract day trippers?”Dunoon would make an excellent destination for people from Glasgow seeking both Day Tripper and Weekend Breaks.
Why don’t they come though?
Well they certainly won’t drive the long way round, it is too far. There are plenty of other attractive destinations that are closer to home.
A relatively short drive and the pleasant experience of a ferry crossing to the town ought to be attractive, but then we hit the price barrier – £44.50 for a young family of 4 in a car.
Why would people pay that premium to come to Dunoon when they can go elsewhere?
The passenger only service is unattractive because of its unreliability.
What Dunoon needs is a truly competing vehicle ferry services.
- 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.
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The inadequacies in this study surely mirror the historic government mindset.
The delay in improving the A82 between Balloch and Tarbet until the traffic overload had reached nonsensical proportions, and the long-term reluctance to face up to the engineering challenges of making the A82 fit for purpose between Tarbet and Ardlui, and the A83 between Ardrishaig and Tarbert, point to a political establishment that all too often has its eyes fixed firmly on the major areas of population – and has its back turned on us.
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“The A83 is the only route in and out of – and right through Argyll down to Campbeltown, from the central belt.”
No, it is possible to cross the Firth of Clyde by vehicle ferry though that has now been reduced by the Government and Transport Scotland to a single monopoly operator with no price/profit control.
“it notes but does not quantify that there will have been some additional traffic on the Cowal ferries during the closure at the Rest. Everyone’s proverbial granny could have told us that – and did.”
Of course Transport Scotland did not quantify it because it would have been embarrassing to highlight that an important part of the transport network had been made into a monopoly.
“Transport Scotland civil servants, on this evidence, don’t know what an economic impact study demands and have no reason to suspect that MSPs know any better?”
Probably both. Transport Scotland are imcompetent and they know our MSP Michael Russell daydreams about tunnels.
Are you suggesting Newsroom that the Government is underinvesting in the West of Scotland and going about things in an incompetent manner? Would that not be an exaggeration after all they are thinking about doing something, sometime and if the A83 is closed you have alternatives of the A82 and the monopoly ferry service. Many communities would give their eye teeth for such a selection surely?
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“The hotel hired Loch Lomond Seaplanes to deliver the champagne to Inveraray pier.”
Does that mean it was cheaper to fly things in than to take a van over on Western Ferries? WF don’t display their commercial rates on their website, perhaps they don’t want to make the natives restless by advertising the surcharge on goods moving in and out of Cowal.
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Ah – a van delivery via Cowal would not have attracted the publicity the arrival of the seaplane at Inveraray did.
We’d hoped to make clear that The George was saying as loudly as possible ‘Look what the loss of this road access is doing to businesses here. We can’t fulfil our obligations to customers.’
The national media paid swift attention but not, apparently, Transport Scotland who conveniently ignored the impacts on businesses in this non-study.
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See Lochgoilhead didnt get a mention AGAIN, when that road is closed we have no public transport to Glasgow as Helensburgh bus wont come long way, and it takes us an extra 60 miles to get to Glasgow, but we get no sympathy as especially for a small village who rely on tourism and people wont drive the detour as it too long and the ferry is too expensive !!!!!!
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There was a driver of a commercial van looking for a ferry at the CalMac pier this morning. I sent him along to Western. He was concerned about prices but I could not advise him as they don’t publish commercial rates on their website. It is a bit much that as people have to turn up before finding out how much it will cost.
I have heard the commercial rates are high and, if they are, we all end up paying through increased costs for goods and services.
I have every sympathy with Lochgoilhead. No doubt the newroom position is that you are spoilt for choice with roads and ferry services.
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This passed me by as I was at sea when it was published; a snow job of the first water, a report with no useful facts in it. Using data I’ve made up plus a cursory look at wikipedia, by my calculations the road closures have cost Argyll £3.1m per day and heightened landslide risk warnings have cost £250k per day. It’s fun doing this report writing thing; is there money in it?
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Yes db there is always money in the report writing business
and those without substance such as the above are really useful as a delaying tactic. Keep musing,and naval gazing for long enough and the problem might just quietly go away…its only Argyll after all, so why should we expect road safety and a thriving economy?
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