29/09/2024
We need to talk about the ferries!
Alan Livingstone
Highland Stores
There is a meeting next Wednesday the 2nd of October in the Queens Hall
It’s actually two drop-in sessions (2.30 – 4pm and 5 – 6.30pm) for people to give their views on the ferry service based on a report commissioned by the Scottish Government
https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/cowal-and-rosneath-community-needs-assessment/
I remember being in Pier Pressure way back in 1999. We were trying then, twenty-five years ago, to get a fit for purpose passenger ferry service to Dunoon.
The simple reality is that the failure of the Scottish Government to deliver is obvious to everyone. I’m not saying these things are easy but there has been a lot of over promising and under delivering over many years.
However, I’m not interested in the politics of this, as I’m fairly apolitical.
What I am interested in is thinking a little out of the box and accepting that we are not going to get a passenger ferry service that is fit for purpose.
In my view the 100 page consultants’ report boils down to a few critical points quoted below:
Key Point: The Dunoon – Gourock route suffers from very poor reliability, with over 15% of sailings between December 2021 and November 2022 cancelled, and a fifth of all winter sailings cancelled. The main reason for this is adverse weather, which may reflect both the suitability of the vessels operating the route and berthing arrangements, particularly at Dunoon. Poor reliability is almost certainly one of the core contributors to the reduction in passenger numbers in recent years.
Note the “and a fifth of all winter sailings cancelled” means 20% of ALL winter sailings. This is what really makes the service totally unfit for purpose.
74% of all cancellations on the route between 2011 and 2020 were a result of ‘adverse weather’. Despite being a relatively short crossing, the suitability of the vessels for the route combined with sub-optimal berthing arrangements (particularly at Dunoon) continue to cause poor performance overall.
For context, it should be noted that Western Ferries’ services are rarely cancelled, only tending to go off in the most inclement weather. Moreover, with four vessels in their fleet, Western Ferries’ service has significant in-built resilience to cover vessel maintenance and mechanical issues.
The solution is, of course, to have boats that are large enough to handle the sea conditions on the Clyde other than in the very worst of weather. But the Government aren’t prepared to spend the money to do this, and the idea of bigger boats isn’t even mentioned in this report!
What is talked about is the savings to the government.
Key Point: Whilst reducing the scale of the CFL (CalMac Ferries Ltd) Dunoon – Gourock operation would generate disbenefits for current users, the flip side is that it could offer substantial cost savings. Significant savings can though only be realised by reducing the service to a single vessel operation (the major saving) and / or reducing the length of operating day for one or both vessels, thereby reducing the crew complement.
So, it is quite probable that the direction of travel of the Government is to further reduce the passenger ferry service from Dunoon and most likely, through a lack of use because it’s even more unfit for purpose, in time, to remove the passenger ferry service altogether.
An alternative
I have given considerable thought to this and what I believe may be in the best interests of Cowal would be to replace the effectively useless passenger ferry service (remember we’re not getting fit for purpose boats) with a small luxury coach bus fleet.
These new luxury coaches could provide a comfortable, affordable and crucially a highly reliable service running from possibly a new purpose-built coach terminal built on part of the existing ferry parking area (long and narrow so as still to provide parking for commuters).
The coaches would use the 99% reliable Western Ferries to ply between Dunoon and Glasgow and could be timetabled to provide some mix of the following, the bus operating company would advise on how best to operate/timetable the various services.
An express commuter coach to Glasgow with very limited stops so it gets there fast for people working across the water.
One that goes to the various hospitals, Inverclyde, Glasgow and Paisley and could also stop at Braehead and the centre of Glasgow.
One that could go via Glasgow Airport (and some other stops) which could mean you don’t need to take your car and pay for parking whilst on holiday. The coach could drop you off / pick you up nearly at the door.
There is also another really big opportunity/ benefit to having a luxury coach fleet.
The possibility to offer a cheap day-tripper return journey to Dunoon from Glasgow for say only £5.
This could potentially bring lots more footfall to Dunoon and Cowal which is desperately needed.
That price could also allow accommodation providers to maybe offer “free travel” from Glasgow as part of an accommodation package.
I say luxury coaches (likely with a loo onboard) because why shouldn’t we and our potential visitors have a comfortable journey to and from Glasgow!
Currently it is thought to be costing the Scottish Government around £3 million a YEAR (the figure has been redacted from the report so we can’t actually confirm this! However, it’s thought to be in that region).
I am confident that we could run the luxury coach service within that amount and probably a good bit less. We could use any savings under the £3 million we get from the Government to improve facilities of all kinds for visitors and locals alike (e.g. walking and cycling trails, better buses to the outlying villages).
Like many small towns, Dunoon is struggling economically, we currently have 23, yes 23 empty commercial properties in Argyll Street alone!
If the government is really serious about helping rural communities, then they should welcome this idea with open arms.
I have posted this to try to gather support for the idea in principle and also encourage discussion. Of course, it is not fully fledged and I’m sure many of you will have thoughts as to how we could maximise this opportunity to turn a potential disaster for Cowal into hopefully more of a triumph.
If there is considerable support for the idea, we could go along to the drop-in sessions next Wednesday (2nd October) saying that this is what we want the Government to do.
Many thanks for reading
Alan
Highland Stores
This Report considers the ferry service provision for the Cowal (Dunoon) and Rosneath (Kilcreggan) peninsulas from Gourock. The report considers current ferry services, compared with identified community needs, and assesses a short-list of options to address where these do not currently align. This....
