Tag: travel

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Factcheck – CalMac at 98% reliability for last 7 days with more than 500 sailings a day and 54 sailings just from Largs to Millport on time yesterday

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By Professor John Robertson In the last seven days, Calmac ran more than 500 sailings every day. Reliability was: 25th Apr 99%26 99.627 93.128 99.729 97.130 99.21st May 98.4Average 98% on time On 1st May, 4 of the 10 Arran and 4 of the 22 Portavadie to Tarbert sailings were cancelled. That’s all. The other 33 services were at 100%. On the same day, there were 54 sailings from Largs to Cumbrae (Millport) on a sunny Wednesday for tourists. If there were 4 hour delays for cars, why didn’t some of those just get the bus from the Cumbrae slip … Continue reading Factcheck – CalMac at 98% reliability for last 7 days with more than 500 sailings a day and 54 sailings just from Largs to Millport on time yesterday

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Six ferries ‘down’ YET state-owned CalMac at 100% where it matters and not one island cut-off

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By Professor John Robertson, Talking-up Scotland’s International Ferry Correspondent and Factchecker In the Herald today: Six of CalMac’s ageing ferry fleet were placed out of action at the weekend as a new breakdown ‘calamity’ has deepened. Thirty-three-year-old MV Loch Buie, the 11-year-old pioneering diesel electric hybrid ferry MV Lochinvar and CalMac’s oldest ferry 48-year-old MV Isle of Cumbrae, joined MV Caledonian Isles, MV Loch Shira and MV Isle of Lewis on the sidelines since Friday as a new wave of problems hit the state-owned ferry company’s fleet. Here’s the thing. State-owned and because it is, CalMac has the resources to … Continue reading Six ferries ‘down’ YET state-owned CalMac at 100% where it matters and not one island cut-off

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Ardrossan to Arran ferry – Manchester billionaire tax exile’s company is to blame for reduced services and safety risks

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In ukdj today: “The facilities at Ardrossan have not been maintained to an acceptable standard,” stated Duncan Mackison, Interim Chief Executive of CalMac, in the submission. He detailed the “continuing deterioration” of the Ardrossan berths, emphasising that the lack of investment has significantly impacted the operation and safety of ferry services. Over the past decade, CalMac has paid a staggering £15,480,000 in fees for the use of the berths, split into berthing and traffic dues. Despite this substantial outlay, the necessary reinvestment in harbour maintenance appears lacking argue the ferry firm. https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/calmac-criticise-peel-ports-harbour-maintenance/ Where does that money go? Peel Ports Group Ltd are the … Continue reading Ardrossan to Arran ferry – Manchester billionaire tax exile’s company is to blame for reduced services and safety risks

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CalMac currently operating at over 99% reliability with most destinations at 100%

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The Times, the Scotsman and many others are going with a ‘summer of chaos‘ narrative for Scotland’s ferries because of delays with two new boats and extended maintenance for the MV Caledonian Isles but surely those are current problems for the ferry service, affecting current performance? By Professor John Robertson, Talking-up Scotland’s International Ferries Correspondent Gee, I wonder how we could find out how reliable CalMac is? I know, unlike any other ferry service in the world, they have to publish daily figures. Let’s have a look. Yesterday – 502 sailings and 99% of them on time The day before? … Continue reading CalMac currently operating at over 99% reliability with most destinations at 100%

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New Zealand government has no plans to avert another terrifying incident when ageing ferry drifted towards rocks, endangering the lives of hundreds of passengers

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From Newsroom NZ today: In the 16 years since it was bought by the government for $690 million, KiwiRail has had several overhauls and turnaround plans worth billions of dollars. Its ambitions as a successful, profitable operator of tourism, freight and ferries have often been derailed by disasters from earthquakes to cyclones, mine explosions and the collapse of key industries like coal mining. Add to that the Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ bombshell decision not to pump another billion dollars into the Interislander mega ferries, sinking the project and leaving a question mark over KiwiRail’s future as a shipping operator. “I … Continue reading New Zealand government has no plans to avert another terrifying incident when ageing ferry drifted towards rocks, endangering the lives of hundreds of passengers

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Tory Minister ‘wades into’ private ferry operator betraying Scilly islanders

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By stewartb In a BBC News article dated 8 January 2024 entitled ‘Grant Shapps wades into Isles of Scilly ferry row’, in the context of the lengthy ongoing saga regarding the replacement of the ageing ferry to the Isles of Scilly, we learn this from islands’ Councillor Steve Sims: “People are quite worried, because you know, it’s quite a visceral thing this. “People would like to know what’s happening and when it’s going to happen, so they can put their minds at rest really.” He said this was a “huge, huge issue” for the Isles of Scilly.’ The incumbent service … Continue reading Tory Minister ‘wades into’ private ferry operator betraying Scilly islanders

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Scotland’s ferries policy manifestly functional says this expert

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In the Herald today: Scotland’s ferry policy is “manifestly dysfunctional” and must be overhauled, an expert has said. In a submission to a Transport Scotland consultation on its Island Connectivity plan, Roy Pedersen criticised the current process of “the state procuring large, inefficient ships! which he says “will increase the already high financial cost to the Scottish taxpayer”.  Pederson’s report is 36 pages long but judging by the above claims, he has missed any international comparisons of the kind any rigorous research would require. Academics call it a ‘review of literature’ without which no research will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. If … Continue reading Scotland’s ferries policy manifestly functional says this expert

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Islanders have photos of empty shelves caused by ferry fiasco but only on the Channel Islands

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From BBC Jersey, today: Shop shelves in Jersey have been empty of fresh produce since Monday due to cancelled freight ferries. Condor Ferries’ conventional sailings were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday “due to operational reasons”, the company said. The boats carry freight and fresh food, as well as passengers, to the Channel Islands. Condor Ferries has been contacted for comment. That’s all. Nobody blames the Channel Islands or UK governments for a failure to invest in new ferries. No islander says – ‘Right! That’s it! I’m off.‘ They have the proof of empty shelves, above. I seem to remember similar … Continue reading Islanders have photos of empty shelves caused by ferry fiasco but only on the Channel Islands

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Drug-related hospital admissions plummet for third year after Scottish Government Naloxone initiative but are not being reported by media

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By Professor John Robertson The above graph is from Public Health Scotland today, at: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/drug-related-hospital-statistics/drug-related-hospital-statistics-scotland-2022-to-2023/ After a pilot phase ending in 2018, the Scottish Government began to embed Naloxone opioid overdose reversal kits across NHS Scotland. Shortly after, the kits which can be administered by anyone, were adopted by Police Scotland, ambulances and prisons, and made available to libraries, community centres, taxi drivers and to the friends and relatives of users. Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a national naloxone programme, empowering individuals, families, friends and communities to reverse an opiate overdose. Anyone in Scotland can … Continue reading Drug-related hospital admissions plummet for third year after Scottish Government Naloxone initiative but are not being reported by media

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Disbelief spreading as Government is reportedly considering a Wellington mega tunnel after axing Cook Strait mega ferry project 

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New Zealand media is alive with From News Fahara today: Disbelief is spreading as the Government is reportedly considering a Wellington mega tunnel after axing the Cook Strait mega ferry project. The proposed tunnel, which would run underneath the capital city, has raised eyebrows due to its potential multi-billion dollar price tag. The decision comes on the heels of the Government’s refusal to fund the ferry project, which had seen significant cost overruns. https://news.faharas.net/en/disbelief-government-considering-wellington-mega/ And from the NZ Herald, also today: There’s disbelief the Government is considering a mega tunnel underneath Wellington, that will cost several billion dollars, after axing the … Continue reading Disbelief spreading as Government is reportedly considering a Wellington mega tunnel after axing Cook Strait mega ferry project