Boys’ Brigade boss is ferry unhappy
ANOTHER cancellation of the Ardrossan to Campbeltown ferry spoiled a Boys’ Brigade day out.
THE LEADER of a Campbeltown youth organisation is incensed that a cancelled ferry spoiled an Ayrshire excursion.
In a letter to the chief executive of Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), Martin Dorchester, copied to the first minister and transport minister, Alister Nimmo, the acting captain 1st Campbeltown Boys’ Brigade, wrote: ‘I am forced to write to you for the second time within a month about the atrocious ferry service your company provides to Campbeltown.’
Last Friday’s 6.20pm ferry departure from Ardrossan to Campbeltown was aborted at the last moment.
No back-up
Mr Nimmo claimed that poor contingency planning meant there was no proper backup plan and his boys, aged from five to nine, waited more than an hour for a bus and did not get back to Campbeltown until 11.30pm, after a four-hour journey.
Mr Nimmo said: ‘We were told that there might be a cancellation of the evening ferry and that we should regularly contact the port during the day.
‘This we did and each time it was confirmed that the ferry would be sailing.
Informed
‘We returned to Ardrossan at 6pm and on arrival I was informed that as far as they knew the ferry to Campbeltown would be sailing.
‘Shortly after the Arran ferry departed at 6.20. We were told that the captain had just advised that the ferry to Campbeltown would not sail due to technical problems and weather conditions.
‘We have it on good authority from parents who stayed in Campbeltown all day that there was no bad weather and, in fact, very little wind.’
A CalMac spokesman said: ‘The cancellation of this service was a result of the deterioration in weather that caused the ship’s master to alter his decision to sail.
‘Unfortunately the last minute nature of the decision meant that the staff had little time to plan for the disruption with the result that communication with customers may not have been as comprehensive as they should expect, for which, we apologise.
‘While this cancellation is regrettable, the safety of passengers and crew needs to be the number one priority and is central to any decision not to sail.’
Mr Nimmo added: ‘The people of Campbeltown take the view that CalMac does not want to run the service to Campbeltown and it is using the ferry cancellations to sicken people from using the ferry.
‘In addition, the frequent cancellations are beginning to affect the number of visitors who would wish to use this service.’
Stranded
He also said that knowing there was a likelihood of cancellation, a back-up plan for what to do with stranded passengers should have been in operation.
Mr Nimmo added: ‘We were told that the delay in the arrival of the bus was due to the Open golf tournament.
‘This is another example of lack of planning. It should have been planned for long before, as cancelling the ferry is becoming a regular occurrence.’