vatnafjael Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Wow! Could that be a sensible decision from the council. Tunnels have to be the answer for the bigger isles. If it were up to me I would hire in someone with experience and do the job in house, all of them. If that is too forward thinking then at least get a contractor in and do one tunnel, see what happens, might stabilise the Isles and stop the population drift to LK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holm O Sanik Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 You can access the whole report here- http://www.shetland.gov.uk/coins/viewDoc.asp?c=e%97%9Db%95o%7D%89 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ll Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 It would be interesting to see if maybe Yell, Unst, Bressay and Whalsay tunnels could be done cheaper if the contracts were combined, rather than quoted for individually. At the current winter level of service, it would seem there is capacity for just over 300 cars and over 1,500 passengers - each way on the Whalsay service. You would have thought this would have been ample, but likely the majority of folk all want to travel at the same times. If the current service is not adequate, it would be sensible to price services according to demand, whether it be through higher pricing at peak times or even free travel off-peak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 The right thing to do would be to build a Tunnel. You're absolutely right. I was up in Faroe a few years ago and they'd just opened a new tunnel between Leirvik and Klaksvik. The day I drove through it was wet and windy but what a pleasure. Bright, bags of two lane room and at the half-way point there's coloured stips of light in the roof just as a bit of art and to show that you're half-way. They currently have plans to build a tunnel that will have a roundabout in the middle where 4 seperate tunnels will meet. We can't even build one...... But, here's a suggestion. Ask our Norwegian cousins for a 3 for the price of 2 deal. Whalsay, Bressay and Yell Sund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharky Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 The only reason that a tunnel would cost £111 million is because the council didna approach a bonafide tunneller like in the faroe tunnels,oh no,They got prices from a company that had only ever maintained tunnels,never dug them,if rumour is to be believed,the only tunnel like thing they built is a sewer!.If the truth be know a tunnel would cost mare lik £35-50 million which is no bad when you consider the price of new build ferries,crew costs,fuel,linkspans..widna take dat many years to recoup da cost.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bug Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 Sharky doos so right - 30-50 Million Poond - Min dat widna get you a good purser noo adays. Let da diggin begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewMagnie Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 I'm suddenly reeling with deja vu. Weren't we having this debate in 2001? I forget the name of the outfit, but one of the major partners in Vagatunnilin plc were definitely approached for outline costs and did initial feasibility studies for Yell and Bluemull sounds. Council certainly spoke to Norwegians with Faeroe islands experience around that time. Came to nothing however. Time to dust off the blueprints methinks. And shouldn't we probably start a new thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbister Posted February 2, 2010 Report Share Posted February 2, 2010 .......the majority of folk all want to travel at the same times. If the current service is not adequate, it would be sensible to price services according to demand, whether it be through higher pricing at peak times or even free travel off-peak. Couldn't agree more. Is there anywhere else on the planet that something like that doesn't happen? It would make far better use of dwindling resources and we could save on both boats and terminals. At the very least, it should be part of any option appraisal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 If the truth be know a tunnel would cost mare lik £35-50 million The report outlines how they went back to the company who had given a £35M figure, gave them some more information, the actual tunnel length invloved, and looked at recent similar projects, and the "tunnel build only" cost went uphill pretty quickly. But hey, if a company is really offering a fixed design & build price, including roads and all the rest for £35M, then snap their hand off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlander Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Could that be a sensible decision from the council. I'm not convinced. The report makes it fairly clear that there is neither the finance in place (now or in the forseeable future and either from within the council's own budgets or externally) or the time to construct and get all the necessary consents for a tunnel before the current terminals crumble into the sea. Fixed links are a fine idea in principle but come at a huge capital cost and need years of forward planning. In typical council fashion this just seems to me like yet another stalling tactic (that will no doubt incur additional work and costs along the way) to avoid having to make a decision on a terminal site that is never going to please everybody in Whalsay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 The only reason that a tunnel would cost £111 million is because the council didna approach a bonafide tunneller like in the faroe tunnels,oh no,They got prices from a company that had only ever maintained tunnels,never dug them,if rumour is to be believed,the only tunnel like thing they built is a sewer!.If the truth be know a tunnel would cost mare lik £35-50 million which is no bad when you consider the price of new build ferries,crew costs,fuel,linkspans..widna take dat many years to recoup da cost.. Exactly. It never ceases to amaze me why the SIC makes the mistake of looking sooth for "advice" the whole time on matters/projects that sooth haven't even done. nor likely ever will do, when comparing it to Shetland.... They employ these consultants who pluck a figure from here and a figure from there and come back with what's basically an inexperienced guesstimate rather than employing people who've been there, done it and got the t-shirt. No disrespect to Mr Sloan on the radio last night but it was obvious he didn't really have a clue about tunnels in Shetland..... Whereas the Norwegians would come in and say yes, here's the first tunnel option/route, here's the second tunnel option/route and a third tunnel option/route. Which one do you want?, and before you know it the job is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu885 Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 So wid somebdy tell me whit you tink will happen ti the 40+ fock dat will loose der jobs if a tunnel is built?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groilick Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Sometime in da no too distant future da SIC is going tae hae tae get real an stop paying such massive subsidy on da inter-island ferries. Already some cooncilers ir planning on just wan ferry on every soond and I bet hit’ll no be lang da cost o taking a car across will be nearer £80 dan £8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X8 Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 So wid somebdy tell me whit you tink will happen ti the 40+ fock dat will loose der jobs if a tunnel is built?????? Yeh, they go and get proper jobs like the rest of us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 bit coorse X8, 40 jobs lost is bit of a concearn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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