Holm O Sanik Posted June 5, 2010 Report Share Posted June 5, 2010 Ghostriders comments are the most sense i've heard regarding this matter since it began. If tunnels were ever to be seriously considered then surely all isles would need to be considered. Just because Whalsays transport link is in need of replacement now does not neccessarily mean it would be best suited for the first Shetland tunnel. Would there not be an obligation on the councils part to carry out a socio economic study to see which community would benefit most from a tunnel? And also find out which route they would make most savings by replacing the ferries/ferry with a tunnel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CShetland383 Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 What I find amusing about this whole thing is the tremendous scale of the spending compared to the number of people on whalsay (and none of this rubbish about not enough housing space being available please, if there's one thing shetland has a lot of it's empty land, and large swathes of lerwick and the surrounding area would be under development, were there actually the demand there to support it. Assuming everyone on whalsay (around 1000 people I believe) used the tunnel every day, then it could pay for itself over the course of 10 years by charging a mere £15.20 per person for passage through the tunnel, assuming that all maintenance work and operating work was carried out by oompa loompas working for free, and that volunteers continuously held charity walks to pay for materials, lighting and other operating costs It would be cheaper, in fact, to buy every family on the island a helicopter.There are literally thousands of ways this money could be better spent, I can't fathom why anyone would support such a ludicrous waste of council money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Whereas if everybody on Whalsay used the ferry everyday, then to cover all costs they would only need to pay a fare of £........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whalsa Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 What I find amusing about this whole thing is the tremendous scale of the spending compared to the number of people on whalsay (and none of this rubbish about not enough housing space being available please, if there's one thing shetland has a lot of it's empty land, and large swathes of lerwick and the surrounding area would be under development, were there actually the demand there to support it. I too agree that a tunnel is too expensive but surely you are not suggesting that Whalsays problem can be solved by everyone who wants a good transport link moving to the mainland? I for one do not want to live on the mainland. In three months I will be commuting everyday to work at Sullom Voe and I don't think that commuters should be forced to move away and depopulate the isle just because it isn't feasible to have a transport link which can easily pay for itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swc123 Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 I see our councillors have made a decision by the narrowest of margins, tunnel for Whalsay it is and all other islands for that matter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whalsa Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Its madness. "The decision was made despite the council’s chief financial officer Graham Johnston telling members that there was not likely to be any public money available to build tunnels in the foreseeable future." How lang is da forseeable future? Is dat afore ur efter Whalsays decrepit terminals crumble in ti da sea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Will this just turn out to be the next reversible decision made by this council?. Since as I understand it the Whalsay terminal needs to be replaced in less time than it will take to build the tunnel does this decision mean that the council is prepared to build both a new terminal and a tunnel?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 thats stupid. they rrally can't afford to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisonw Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 A tunnel with no financial backing is nothing more than an empty promise. I'm all for it in the long term future after proper strategic planning but it should not be an adhoc decision leaving us with bog all in the meantime. As far as I can see i'll be rowing to my work in 5 years time if the divers are accurate in their assessment of the crumbling linkspan or whatever its called. Great. Thanks councillors you represent us well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 I must confess I refered to councillors as "useless" in another thread but on this occassion I must congratulate them for taking this decision I think the cold truth is that the so-called better prices for ferries and piers would in reality grow to be much more. And that's not including the ever increasing cost of running ferries. I dread to think what it'll be in 10 years time..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinner72 Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 So long as they stick by the decision and dont do any more "reviews" or "studies", then this is an admirable decision. At last. Presumably they will be starting with one of the shorter links first, thus gaining experience and moving the newer ferries to the open routes untill all are tunneled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastsider Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Yes it's good they've managed to make a decision but the problem is there is no money available to carryout what they are trying to achieve. AtLeast 5 years before the Scottish government will have money ( might have money ) and 7-10 years to investigate and build a tunnel to whalsay. After they have built the Bressay, Yell and Unst ones say that's 20-30 years atleast. And a few teething problems along the way it looks like the piers and ferries will have to serve whalsay for 20-40 years. Not sure if the piers will be standing so it might even just be a foot passenger service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glipper Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Whits the point in having a chief financial officer if no body in the town hall pays heed to him when he says dir nae money fur a fixed link... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lerwick Posted July 1, 2010 Report Share Posted July 1, 2010 Why not have a ferry and a tunnel . The ferry boys would be able to play 500 all day without any interruptions and the council could employ folk from outwith the isle on the ferry as they could drive home through the tunnel. I think it needs a feasibility study which i could undertake for a modest fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Para Handy Posted July 1, 2010 Report Share Posted July 1, 2010 Whits the point in having a chief financial officer if no body in the town hall pays heed to him when he says dir nae money fur a fixed link... And he should be given the job CE too It's no wonder the counclors did not give him the job though!Because the dont like being told the truth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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