1 Scottish Ferry Services Review Public Consultation Meeting
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Scottish Ferry Services Review Public Consultation Meeting Brodick Hall Wednesday 22nd February 2012 at 7.30pm ATTENDANCE Over 90 Members of the General Public and was hosted by representatives of the Isle of Arran Ferry Committee, Arran Community Council and Arran Community and Voluntary Service. The following is a summary of views and opinions obtained from attendees at this public consultation meeting. Discussion groups focussed on proposals for the Isle of Arran taken from the ‘Scottish Ferry Services Draft Plan for Consultation’, Published in December 2011 by The Scottish Government. It was stressed that t he timing and funding of any changes were to be agreed. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? To make your views known to the Scottish Government, please take time out to respond to the Consultation Document. Responses should be sent to: Colin Grieve, Transport Scotland, Ferries Unit, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ e-mail: [email protected] ARRAN ( page 21 ) 25. Arran currently has two ferry routes; the principal route is from Ardrossan to Brodick, and the secondary route is between Lochranza and Claonaig on Kintyre. Summary of Comments : All attendees would be very happy with a two-ferry service on Ardrossan-Brodick route. Some suggest 1 large and 1 small vessel. Many suggest two similarly sized vessels. Future services must be’ fit for purpose’. No point in investing in new vessels if they are not reliable. Lochranza/Claonaig service must remain. Longer hours welcomed, as soon as possible. Do not see Lochranza/Claonaig as a secondary route, but a primary, and very important, route. With a 2 ferry service there should be a 6am sailing from both ports and finishing late (i.e. 9pm) Most of the problems with the present service are caused by the port of Ardrossan being unfit for service. Retain Ardrossan, but need boat to suit or improvement in harbour approach. Harbour at Brodick fine. The introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff on Lochranza-Claonaig route and the increased traffic on the Ardrossan route must increase use of Claonaig link. Demand should be met by a larger ferry when/if required. Secondary route between Lochranza-Claonaig must have improved public transport links. Lochranza-Claonaig route is vital to tourism, a major source of income for Arran, and important for ferry hoppers. 1 Need a second port of refuge on the mainland side of the Clyde for adverse weather conditions. Lochranza-Claonaig must not be seen as ‘secondary’. It is vital to provide a ‘through route’ across Arran from Ayrshire to Kintyre. We have strong connections with HIE with HQ at Lochgilphead and need reliable transport there in all seasons. Hauliers and buses use it a lot when available and development would be of great value. Need for reliability 26. Currently a typical service day on Ardrossan to Brodick would run from early morning to early evening, with the first sailing to the mainland around 8.30 am and the last sailing around 7.30 pm. The Friday service offers an additional sailing later in the evening. There are around 5 to 6 sailings per day Monday to Saturday, less on a Sunday. Comments : Any service is reliant on boats being able to access ports. Problems with Ardrossan must be addressed. 7 am in both directions would enable commuting to work or college Sailing hours must be linked with working hours, rail and bus services. Evening service desirable Longer day An earlier Monday morning sailing might have a positive impact on tourism and help avoid the Sunday evening rush. Bookable service – doesn’t have to be. A 2-ferry service would enhance capacity. 27. Our needs based assessment for Arran suggests increasing the service provision on the Ardrossan to Brodick route so that the new operating day runs from very early in the morning (around 7 am) through to much later in the evening (at least 10 pm). We also suggest increasing the frequency of the service so that it closely matches a shuttle service. This proposal would substantially increase the connection between Arran and the Scottish mainland. Comments : Requests for 7am start in either direction. An early Sunday morning sailing is required, especially during the Summer timetable, albeit with the loss of a lunchtime sailing. Early morning sailings are important, as these would give people a chance to attend meetings or travel as far as Edinburgh for an event there. At present, such things cannot be achieved within one day. Recommend early boat 6am ex Brodick daily and late boat 10pm ex Ardrossan, possibly later on Saturdays. Infrastructure has to be able to cope with an increased service as do any connecting public transport links. Increased sailings and longer day could support an un-bookable service. 28. There are no low cost practicable options for how we might increase the service provision on Ardrossan to Brodick. Currently the route is served by one large vessel. To double-crew this vessel so that we could extend the operating day would be extremely expensive. There were no comments concerning this statement. 2 29. A better long-term option would be to replace the existing vessel with two smaller vessels. These vessels would be more fuel efficient and each vessel would require a smaller number of crew than the current vessel. So while there is a substantial initial investment, the increase in running costs is significantly less. We may be able to achieve this change during the next CHFS contract (2013-2019) or it may be that this change is only possible as part of the vessel renewal programme to be published as part of the Final Ferries Plan. Comments : A 2-ferry service should be introduced as soon as possible. Seven day week for 2 boats Agree with 2 boat service Would the two smaller ferries be of the same size? Some people preferred that both vessels were of the same size; others wanted 1 large and 1 small vessel. Vessels must be seaworthy and designed to withstand adverse weather conditions. No point in having a more frequent service if boats are unreliable due to weather or port constraints. What happens during overhaul/repair/maintenance periods? Should one ferry be larger to cover these and for economic reasons to operate alone during winter? For some people a fast journey was more important than catering facilities. Specification for new ferries must refer to feedback from the community regarding disabled access issues, including the need for better on-board medical facilities. The lack of an on-board defibrillator was raised as a concern. Although not mentioned in the Draft Ferries Review, problems with Ardrossan Harbour were a concern with all attendees with many agreeing that it was unfit for purpose. Accessibility to Ardrossan Harbour is essential for the success of any future service provision. An alternative Clyde port must be identified for when Ardrossan is inaccessible. Put pressure on Clydeport Authority to make Ardrossan fit for purpose by considering the option of an outer breakwater. 30. We recognise that the current harbour infrastructure at Brodick acts as a capacity constraint and that this needs to be addressed prior to the introduction of RET on this route. Major investment is planned at Brodick to replace the ageing harbour infrastructure. That work will be taken forward by CMAL over the current Spending Review period 2012/13 to 2014/15. In addition to addressing the current capacity problems, the improvement work will improve the operational resilience of Brodick for existing and future vessels. Comments : RET is necessary, as soon as possible. Concerns were voiced about Arran’s ability to accommodate the potential increase in footfall. Putting huge investment into redeveloping Brodick Harbour is pointless without providing secure anchorage at a mainland destination. The need to make Ardrossan fit for purpose was reiterated. In the event of not being able to berth at Ardrossan, there must be a primary port on the mainland where a rail connection can be established with the least possible expense. One person mentioned ‘Registered Resident’ Priority boarding, with priority 365 days a year. 3 Those present anticipated capacity problems with the introduction of RET, but generally feel it will be a good thing. 31. CLAONAIG TO LOCHRANZA (PAGE 22) Claonaig to Lochranza largely fulfils a specialist function in the movement of dangerous goods. In terms of passenger and vehicle numbers it is very much a secondary route to the Ardrossan and Brodick service - for every passenger travelling between Claonaig and Lochranza, there are around 16 passengers travelling between Ardrossan to Brodick. The figure for cars is around 9 to 1 in favour of Ardrossan to Brodick. See comments in the following section. 32. It would be our intention to review services between Claonaig and Lochranza following the upgrade to Ardrossan to Brodick. Comments : North End is an essential route, not only for tourism. It is not considered a secondary route. Everybody present stated that this service should not be reduced in any way, and indeed enhancement would be welcome. Lochranza/Tarbert service is not mentioned in the Review. It would be better if this was enhanced to give a return journey each day from Lochranza on the Winter route. The service from Lochranza, winter and summer, facilitates a valuable through route into Kintyre from the mainland and it is imperative that it is retained. It opens up access to the Western Isles, is an important link for Hopscotch ticket users and is also used for carrying hazardous cargo. Members of the farming community present at the meeting stated that the Lochranza service permits them access to livestock markets for breeding stock in particular. The farming industry on the island would undoubtedly suffer if this service was reduced.