Jamie McGrigor, Highlands and Islands MSP, has today (28th June) tabled the following parliamentary questions on the A83.
Written Parliamentary questions
S4W-08319 Jamie McGrigor: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the alternative route being proposed in the event of the closure of the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful.
S4W-08320 Jamie McGrigor: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the alternative route being proposed in the event of the closure of the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will be in place by autumn 2012.
I can answer that one for Mr McGrigor – the alternative route for the A83 will not be in place by Autumn 2012. I think that is a safe bet don’t you?
An even more important question is when will a final solution for the A83 be in place? Lets say the emergency route were in place and the A83 then closes completely for 1-2months, would that be an acceptable situation?
What happens is both the A82 and the A83 close simultaneously? What happens if a big slide takes out both the A83 and the emergency road for months?
Why do we now have only one vehicle ferry crossing of the Firth of Clyde providing an alternative route?
Does no planning, integration and investment in transport and routes take place in the West of Scotland?
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With regard to your comments on vehicle ferries, there may only be one route crossing the Clyde from Dunoon, but there seem usually to be four ferries on this route and they clearly represent a substantial investment – and it’s obviously an exaggeration to claim that there’s ‘..no planning, integration and investment in transport and routes…in the West of Scotland’
A lack of planning, integration and investment would be fair comment, but your comments seem to be distorted by your dislike of Western Ferries.
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Unlike you I am a regular user of Western and have been for many years. Nowhere have I said I dislike them, they provide an essential service.
What I do dislike very much is the new situation of reliance on a single private operator without price control. Western is very unlikely to go broke, but they might have a strike, suffer an accident or have a run of mechanical failures.
Here is a solution for the A83; we give the “Rest” to a private operator to solve the landslip problem then we let them charge a toll on its use with no limits or control on the prices they can charge or the profits they make.
Presumably you would be in favour of that, if not what is the difference with the ferry situation over the Firth of Clyde?
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As it stands at present we pay road taxes to use the roads, although a lot of the money harvested seems to be diverted away from caring for the roads. We pay separately to use the ferries – although I’m in favour of RET or even free ferries, paid for from road taxation. I think you do dislike WF, otherwise your criticism doesn’t always stack up, and I wonder if you’ve been spoilt for choice compared with other ferry users (except those in Orkney)? The risks of disruption to WF services are surely no different to those of Calmac except for industrial action – where WF have the benefit of operating their own terminals, whereas Calmac sometimes don’t.
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I pay road taxes too. Why should the Forth Road Bridge costing billions be free to use but a Firth of Clyde vehicle ferry requires dues paid to a private company?
By having two ferry companies operating the risk of both halting for any length of time is reduced. Short term reductions are also reduced, weather might halt one but not the other. If there is flooding in Gourock, as happens, there are options. The system is more robust and there is competition.
I take it you don’t want a private company charging tolls on the A83 at the “Rest” without any cap on charges or profits?
If you don’t want that then what is your objection to others seeking to have not a free service but one on which there is at least an element of competition?
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I could suggest a tunnel as the ideal answer but I know you’ve got a closed mind about that, and – as I doubt whether an ‘element of competition’ would lead to much of a reduction in vehicle charges on the ferries, while it would undoubtedly suit vehicle traffic to the detriment of the improvement of passenger facilities on the ‘traditional route’ – I’m not that sympathetic. It seems to me that your interests don’t represent those of foot passengers, who aren’t well served.
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Again, unlike you, I try to use the passenger only service on a regular basis. Foot passengers want vehicle ferries because they are big enough to run reliably.
You could mention tunnels – if you are trying to make a joke.
The Government and Transport Scotland have demonstrated they are incapable of introducing something as simple as a passenger service that operates reliably in the weather on the Firth of Clyde. What makes you think they remotely have the ability to build a tunnel?
From their performance on the current ferry service they would no doubt write a contract that did not require the tunnel to keep the water out.
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Q.E.D. – a closed mind, or d’you think you’re living in the third world?
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Given the state of the roads and ferries I am beginning to wonder.
I don’t have a closed mind but I judge abilities by track record. If the Government and Transport Scotland cannot do something simple like introduce a reliable passenger ferry service why on earth should I think them capable of more complex tasks?
The Ali Cat was already running, badly, on the route. All they had to do was use their ears to listen to the people who were warning them and their eyes to see the evidence. A little brainwork might not have gone amiss writing the contract either.
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