Ferry News

[deirdreh]

On the BBC news website today.

"An economic study is to be carried out into reviving a ferry route between Argyll and Northern Ireland.

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said the appraisal would look into the feasibility of a service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle.

In 1999, an unsubsidised ferry between the ports was shut down after three summers in operation.

The study, funded by Scotland and Northern Ireland, is expected to be completed by summer 2008.

Mr Stevenson said the study was necessary because previous appraisals were now too old to be of any value.

'Tourism benefits'

He said: "After years of no movement on a Campbeltown-Ballycastle service, I am delighted to announce that I have agreed with Northern Ireland Minister Nigel Dodds to carry out a fresh economic appraisal of the route.

"Communities on both sides of the water have campaigned long and hard for the reinstatement of this service, believing it would bring economic and tourism benefits to the local communities involved and Scotland more widely."

He said the Scottish Government has set aside funding within its budget announced last month to revive the ferry service.

Jamie McGrigor, Scottish Conservative MSP for Highlands and Islands, said he had been pushing to have the service reintroduced but queried whether a new assesment was needed.

He said: "I want to see it completed with the minimum possible delay so that the people of Campbeltown and Kintyre, and indeed Argyll more generally, can see this service restored and can benefit from the very real tourism boost that it will provide."

In 2006, a tendering process failed to attract any potential operators to restart the ferry with a £1m subsidy.

A tendering exercise in 2002 also failed to produce a response."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/gla ... 126771.stm

[John S]

Progress being made on the political will to reintroduce the ferry.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Release ... /Video/444

[abbey craig]

same old story,heard it all before

[Mo*]

The only difference is the Northern Ireland politicians are active now. The Stormont stand-off that lasted for years stopped any progress happening.

The political will in Scotland was always there. John S must recall that.

[ionnsaigh]

The only difference is the Northern Ireland politicians are active now. The Stormont stand-off that lasted for years stopped any progress happening.

The political will in Scotland was always there. John S must recall that.

What difference does that make now,- it takes two to tango.

[ionnsaigh]

Dance

[general jack o'niell]

important enough to be on the news last night, can't complain about that, its on the table as fr as salmond and paisley are concerned

[abbey craig]

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Release ... 9/20103130

does this news release sound familiar, from september 05

we dont want maybes and might be`s, we want action and promises until then dont hold your breath

and heres another one from 2002, http://194.247.95.101/News/Releases/2002/12/2867

[£3.73]

The ferry is a dead duck ... a £20 million plus well dredged harbours worth, expensive place to stash the town's xmas decorations.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but in the past, no-one has ever come up with an economic redevelopment plan for this area that doesn't use THE FERRY ! ie. there was never a plan B ! It's a one trick pony !

imho, most (not all) of the young brains leave Kintyre at age 17/18 never to return .... this leaves a power vaccum filled by the old guard, the self interested, the hopelessly optimistic & the get rich quick !

The ferry is nothing more than another big boys toy, it's been tried in the past and failed.

Perhaps some unglamourous strategy like non-private let housing or decent roads will get overlooked yet again.

Good luck to this ferry venture, and after it fails again, what are we gonna be debating on this forum 5 years from now ?!!!

[EMDEE]

£3.73

The ferry would be a major facilitator for economic development, maybe that's why it features in plans.

The assertion that the ferry has been tried in the past and failed is, to say the least, debatable.

[general jack o'niell]

i reckon a ferry service would need to be running fulltime for at least five years before it could be seen to be succeeding or failing, or is mr romanov in charge of the tendering process, show a profit in three months or your out. why can't the route be subsidised the same as all other routes operated by calmac, without the subsidy none of its routes would last six months, its called providing a service, its the benefits at either end of the route that are important, not the profitability of the route itself, why can't the anti ferry crowd see this? if the route brought say 1 million pounds to the local economy but only broke even then thats a success, we don't want a ferry for the benefit of the ferry company's shareholders, we want it for our benefit, anyone who can't see this should go live in kilmory with all the other campbeltown haters.

[Malky]

why can't the route be subsidised the same as all other routes operated by calmac, without the subsidy none of its routes would last six months, its called providing a service, its the benefits at either end of the route that are important, not the profitability of the route itself..

Excellent point GJ

Malky

[Buzz Lightyear]

Mr Banks from the ferry company up in Orkney told the KIWG meeting in December that the route would need to be going for 4 years before he could build up a sustainable market with commercial traffic, he commented that when this is done the rest would fall into place with the tourist traffic, etc. and the route would need to be year round, not just summer months.

He was also confident that the route would work and he also daid that he would be delighted to do it for the subsidy that was offered last year, he started the route between Orkney and the mainland with no subsidy, still runs with no subsidy to date and he makes a profit and runs most if not all commercial traffic to/from orkney.

Why cant people listen to these people.

[general jack o'niell]

simple, he is a man with a wide knowledge of the job, not a jobsworth with political ambitions that outweigh their intellect and abilities. how does the cost of subsidising the ferry compare with the scrapping of the forth bridge tolls?

[£3.73]

I would love to be proved wrong on the ferry issue.

However, I've personally always felt that Kintyre's greatest asset, and greatest loss is it's people, especially the young. Too many are forced to leave to seek education/jobs etc and never come back.

It seems to me that if you are going to subsidise anything, subsidise those people, who may hold the key to future economic success for the area.

There is nothing wrong chasing inward investment. It is however shameful that there's precious little being done to stem this exodus of our own people.

(and yes, I remain sceptical at best that the White Elephant Line is the best solution to the areas economic woes).