Not good enough...

As the local MSP I spent years getting flak for the state of the Dunoon/ Gourock ferry service.   A lot of that was about the failure of any operator to provide a car service , which ceased in 2011.  That was perfectly understandable given that there is a good vehicle service every  twenty minutes from just along the shore.  

Even though the passenger boats were getting old, the town centre to town centre service was actually running twice an hour at peak times and new boats had been promised (though they they seem now to be indefinitely delayed) 

I use the service reasonably often but  I am sorry to have to say that in recent months it has deteriorated badly.   There is only one vessel on the route , with the second one having been withdrawn almost five months ago in order to have changes made to its exhaust system though there is no word about when that will be completed.  

That withdrawal should presumably have meant that  there was a spare crew but the timetable now  has regular outages including two every day , necessitated by crew shortages , apparently.   This 10.45 am sailing is one that is used by many people and it is  presently replaced by a bus and Western Ferrries diversion which takes considerably longer.

The toilets at Dunoon are permanently out of order, as the main picture shows.   There are also seats taped up and unusable in the waiting room, which is  still a portacabin.  Moreover at Gourock there is work going on to erect a very ugly and intimidating fence all along the pier, with heavy gates on the linkspan up and down which passengers have to walk.

All this is unacceptable.   The pier at Dunooon is owned by Arygll & Bute Council and it is a mess.   The pier at Dunoon I think is CMAL's and the fence is a real eyesore.   The seemingly perpetual loss of a boat is Cal Mac's responsibility, though CMAL will own that vessel and should take some share of the blame. 

There needs to be urgent attention to the infrastructure and quality of this service particularly as it was really busy today on both legs.   Some people locally still assert that it is being deliberately run down so it can eventually be abandoned.  I dont think that is true but I do think those who are responsible for it - in various organisations - should be called to account for  allowing  and then tolerating such dilapidation.   

They should be urged to take urgent action to reverse it because public transport is more needed than ever, but this  type of cavalier disregard for the public and their needs simply drives away customers. 

My extra photo shows the fence at Gourock Pier by the way