I disagree, the question raise no pressure. This …

Comment posted McGrigor puts down parliamentary questions on A83 by ferryman.

I disagree, the question raise no pressure. This problem has been known about for a long time. To raise pressure you have to ask what studies were done into the effects of closure on traffic flows, what alternatives (e.g ferries to Campbeltown) were considered and so on.
The answer will be nothing, in fact they cut back by removing a Firth of Clyde vehicle crossing. The remaining crossing is choc-a-bloc and once people get on they will be surprised at having to pay between £12-£16 single for a car of 4 to a private company on a short crossing. What were the tolls on the Skye bridge?
Transport Scotland were not doing their job and the Government were not ensuring they were doing their job.
Those sorts of questions will raise pressure.

ferryman also commented

• I found the Skye bridge charges at the worst they seemed to be £5.70 (no charge for passengers) . Even allowing for inflation and the passage of time to pay £27 to get across the Firth of Clyde seems a tad steep, don’t you agree?

  So if it was unacceptable to pay to cross a bridge open 24×7 why is it acceptable for us to have to pay a private company to cross the Firth of Clyde?

• I have been corrected it should be £21-£27 for a family of 4 one way in a car.
• Damn you are right I missed the £11.40 for the car!
  So if you just turn up, as people trying to bypass the A83 are now doing, they get stung for roughly £21-£27 (depending on child adult ratio) one way have I got it right now?

  What were the charges on the Skye Bridge?

• You need return of a second vehicle ferry service or control of profits on the Cowal Ferries, and a ferry service to Campbeltown would also be a good idea.

  Waterways are natural motorways. We should stop looking at them as obstacles and invest sensibly in them with proper seaworthy ships.

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.

powered by SEO Super Comments