Tag: ferries

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Poisoned Waters: The War Between BC Ferries in Canada and its workers but in Scotland….

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From the Penticton Herald, today: A four-letter expletive ended talks aimed at bringing peace between BC Ferries and its union — and better service for travellers. It was Nov. 28, and union leader Eric McNeely had just logged in to a video conference call with two company executives. The stakes were high. The company and the union had accused each other of intransigence and lying in a series of memos to employees. The meeting ended badly. McNeely said he left the call after Dean Dobrinsky, the corporation’s executive director of labour relations, told him and another union official to “just … Continue reading Poisoned Waters: The War Between BC Ferries in Canada and its workers but in Scotland….

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Does their Ferries Community Board want to stick islanders with a more expensive and less reliable ferry service?

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Perhaps they only read the Herald’s Second-class Ferry Correspondent (Scotland only) but the CalMAc Ferries Community Board apparently  “unanimously” do not support a direct award of the next contract. So they want to open up the bid to for-profit operators like Washington State Ferries in the USA, BC Ferries in Canada, Condor in the Channel Islands, Red Funnel in the Isle of Wight or KiwiRail in New Zealand? Regulars here will know that all operate less reliable, older vessels, at far greater cost to the passenger. For confirmation of this and to get a sharp cold water shock, read these: … Continue reading Does their Ferries Community Board want to stick islanders with a more expensive and less reliable ferry service?

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Thanks to SNP, Scotland’s ferry fleet is youngest in world but Scottish Tories do ‘balloon’

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In the Express, today: Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson MSP said that under the SNP the average age of Scotland’s ferries had “ballooned” to 24 years, with a third of its fleet believed to be around 30 years old.  In September 2022, Ernst & Young published these comparative data on ferries: Scotland has the youngest ferries in comparable fleets and the Scottish Government pays the largest subsidy to keep ticket prices down for vulnerable communities, despite the presence among them of a few entitled and ungrateful settlers. Add to the above, Washington State Ferries in the affluent Seattle area … Continue reading Thanks to SNP, Scotland’s ferry fleet is youngest in world but Scottish Tories do ‘balloon’

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US ferry service to extend lives of six ferries to 55 years!

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From the Island Sounder, today: Washington ferries awarded $4.8 million to extend lifespan of six aging vessels by up to a decade. Washington State Ferries (WSF) has received $4.8 million in federal funding to refurbish passenger areas on six aging boats in its ferry fleet. The grant will pay for upgrades on all six of WSF’s Issaquah Class Vessels, originally constructed between 1979 and 1982 and currently serve travellers in Fauntleroy, Vashon, Southworth, Mukilteo, Clinton, Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. https://www.islandssounder.com/life/ferries-awarded-4-8-million-to-extend-lifespan-vessels/ The Washington State Ferries, Issaquah class are 328 feet long and 2 477 tons and serve 90 mile … Continue reading US ferry service to extend lives of six ferries to 55 years!