George. Posted December 30, 2017 Report Share Posted December 30, 2017 Fair points George but I think it would have to be a tunnel if it ever happens because as I mentioned in an earlier post, high winds can cause closure of bridges. If you find out how that Yell man deals with the on call situation post it (if he doesn't mind). It would be interesting to hear. Unfortunately he can't deal with it. The ferries are under no obligation to turn out for anyone apart from emergency services. All that has happened is that those on callout pay hope that they never get called out or rumbled by their employers...... Yet another reason that shows the ferries are past their best. They are under no obligation to......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urabug Posted December 30, 2017 Report Share Posted December 30, 2017 There is many other places in the world that operate inter island ferries,Japan,New Zealand,Australia,Canada and many many more. Has anyone studied any of these ferry services ,who owns and operates them,the costs ect. and how often/regular some of the smaller communities are served. Might be something to be learned if anyone can be bothered to explore a little.. Possibly we are expecting and supplying a service here in Shetland which is just no longer affordable and ma'be we should be looking to provide,something on a weekly,daily, but not every few hours nature. If the ferries are to continue to operate as they are at present then they will have to be better funded from government sources,and I do not see that happening anytime soon so there will have to be a very difficult decision made in 2018 as to the viability of leaving things the way they are.(doubt if that is an option) This will be on a par with the school closures and will upset many many folk . That is my humble opinion and praying that our clever councillors do not take the easy option and empty our oil reserve funds,and at the same time not wishing any inconvenience or hardship on those who rely on the ferries. BigMouth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ll Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 Pretty interesting statistics on here: http://www.shetland.gov.uk/ferries/ferryoperationsstatistics.asp Clearly a massive over capacity on all routes and a need for peak pricing. Capeesh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 It would have been interesting to see them by route! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 Link says ""For detailed route specific data click any of the graphs"" and it works........well there is then another link to the actual data. Capeesh and BigMouth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capeesh Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 (edited) Interesting read, it would be great to have first class infrastructure similar to the Faroe islands, we seem to be decades behind the Scandinavians in almost everything. People will be hovering about in flying cars by the time we ever get round to fixed links, then we'll have the last laugh at their silly tunnels. Edited December 31, 2017 by Capeesh BigMouth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 (edited) It does work indeed. The charts don't show a real picture. Many bars end at the same place with different totals Edited December 31, 2017 by BigMouth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ll Posted January 1, 2018 Report Share Posted January 1, 2018 It does work indeed.The charts don't show a real picture. Many bars end at the same place with different totalsThat’s council figures for you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrashBox Posted January 9, 2018 Report Share Posted January 9, 2018 Geira now out of service with a knackered engine. Yell-Unst-Fetlar down to a single vessel for the next two weeks, resulting in a reduced timetable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George. Posted January 9, 2018 Report Share Posted January 9, 2018 Geira now out of service with a knackered engine. Yell-Unst-Fetlar down to a single vessel for the next two weeks, resulting in a reduced timetable. Yet more proof that tunnels and bridges are beneficial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brecken Posted January 10, 2018 Report Share Posted January 10, 2018 Geira now out of service with a knackered engine. Yell-Unst-Fetlar down to a single vessel for the next two weeks, resulting in a reduced timetable. Poor reliability and breakdowns are something I’m afraid we’re going to have to get used to, years of poor management, lack of proper maintenance and investment plans coupled with lazy elected Councillors sitting on their arses while infrastructure is allowed to fall in sh*te around them catching up I’m afraid, it is however absolutely disgraceful this vital infrastructure and service has been allowed to get to today’s state of neglect and disrepair without any questions being asked or accountability, I only hope the young elected Councillors for the isles step up to the plate and we see some long overdue action and for once someone actually starts thinking about the future generations and not just themselves as has been the case for long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ll Posted January 10, 2018 Report Share Posted January 10, 2018 There's no way SIC can currently subsidize the ferries to £7.5m per year, when they can't fully staff schools, grit roads or carry out other essential services. The days of multi ship operations on crossings of a few miles to provide half hourly services at (comparatively) low prices are well and truly numbered. I hope some serious work can be done on fixed links when there are still enough folk left in the islands to justify them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted January 10, 2018 Report Share Posted January 10, 2018 There's no way SIC can currently subsidize the ferries to £7.5m per year,..... Or, circa 50% of the total ferries budget according to Shetland News a couple of month back.... I wonder how much Gordon Williamson, the brothers Grains, or anyone else for that matter, would manage to shave off the £7.5 millon if they had a chance to put together a tender for the routes. brecken 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capeesh Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) Credit where it's due, Tavish and Liam have put constituents before party and used their votes to help secure much needed extra funding for our ferries, the councillors who've also been working tirelessly on our behalf to lobby the Scottish government also deserve credit, as do the Green party for using their leverage in the budget vote to secure extra council funding and better public sector pay. With the savage cuts to the Scottish block grant coming from Tory austerity in Westminster the scramble for a share of the ever shrinking pot is becoming fiercer every year. It's undeniable that leverage, negotiation and stubborn lobbying from our representatives have achieved more for us than blind opposition and cheap party political point scoring. Edited January 31, 2018 by Capeesh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted February 1, 2018 Report Share Posted February 1, 2018 (edited) With the savage cuts to the Scottish block grant coming from Tory austerity in Westminster....... No argument with the rest, but.... Its easy to point the finger at Westminster as the baddie, and there's plenty of reasons to do just that, but there's two players in this game, and if Holyrood doesn't fight hard enough and long enough to get the slice of the cake they need from Westminster, the slice they do get will always shrink year on year. There's also the widely made assertion that the block grant for 2017/18 for Scotland from Westminster actually increased by £800 Million, yet Holyrood allocations to LA's continued to be cut.....Regardless whether that be truthful, or simply an exercise in creative accounting and spin, one thing cannot be denied - Holyrood and Holyrood alone decides what percentage of the pot they pass on to LA's and how much they keep to themselves for direct Scot's Govt. spending......... Edited February 1, 2018 by Ghostrider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.