The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Ferry port parking changes to let school bus manoeuvre
Transport: New restrictions at spot where woman’s car plunged into sea
Parking restrictions are being introduced to allow school buses to turn safely at an Argyll ferry port.
Cuan Ferry was the scene of a tragedy when an 85-year-old woman died after her car plunged into the sea at the slipway.
The accident on the single-track road which leads to the ferry for the isle of Luing took place in 2015.
Now Argyll and Bute Council is introducing parking restrictions at the same spot to ease congestion and allow the 53-seater coach to turn after dropping Luing pupils off.
A public notice published by the council reads: “The order, which comes into operation on May 5, 2017, introduces waiting restrictions on a section of the B8003 Balvicar-Cuan Ferry road at the North Cuan Ferry.”
The Cuan Ferry is a small vehicle ferry operated by the council which serves the island of Luing from neighbouring Seil, south of Oban. Seil is connected to the mainland by the famous Bridge Over the Atlantic.
Russell Dods, Oban and Mull area manager for West Coast Motors bus company, said: “It will allow the bus to turn. Just now, if there are obstructions in or around the turning area, the only option is for the bus to reverse out, which is far from ideal.
“We were struggling to get the bus turned quite often, particularly at night.
“The school bus would go in and would have to reverse all theway back to the cattle grid at the bottom of the hill.
“The council is going to re-line the road markings and two parking spaces will be taken away, one at the toilets and one on the other side of the road. That should be enough turning space for us to get round.
“We can’t put a smaller bus on that run because there are too many children.”
The post bus meets the Luing children at the other side. After stopping at Cuan the larger coach continues on to Easdale, dropping off more pupils.
Local councillor Kieron Green said: “This is as a result of the bus company stating that they have not got enough space to turn the bus. As a result they are putting in the restrictions so that the vehicles don’t block the bus turning area.”
“The only option is for the bus to reverse out, which is far from ideal”