Slipway work blamed for axing of vehicle service
By Lesley Walsh
LOCAL elected representatives have slammed the Department for Infrastructure for its ‘disgraceful’ decision to suspend the Strangford Ferry for five weeks.
The ferry will be out of commission to vehicles from Monday, October 14, to allow for £300,000 worth of ‘essential health and safety’ works at its slipways on either side, in Portaferry and Strangford.
Ferry users have been told that alternatives include ‘a bus substitution for some or all school pupils who normally travel from Portaferry’ alongside a ‘passenger only ferry operating a reduced timetable’.
Assembly members and councillors have led a chorus of condemnation, alongside warnings over the safety risks of adding extra traffic to the A20 Portaferry to Newtownards Road which many ferry users will be forced to travel.
Politicians are also demanding further details of the Department’s (DFI) provision of the ‘passenger only ferry operating a reduced timetable’ and are insisting the second, back-up ferry be put into use.
Strangford MLA Kellie Armstrong has condemned the decision to halt the service.
“For the DFI to suspend the Strangford Lough Ferry Service for five weeks is disgraceful. This will cause major disruption to the many people who use this service daily for their commutes,” she said.
Submitting an urgent oral question to Minister John O’Dowd on Tuesday, demanding clarity, she referred to the service’s other ferry, stating ‘unless there is a problem with the quays, the second ferry should be in operation’.
“The cost to travel up to 70 miles around Strangford Lough and the time it takes will have a negative impact for workers, anyone going to Downpatrick Hospital and all the pupils attending schools in Downpatrick and Ballynahinch.”
Stressing this was ‘not a new issue’ she said 40 years ago she was bused around the lough when the boat was out of service.
“You would have thought over the last decades a better solution, better communication with elected representatives and the community would have been created.”
Ards and North Down councillor, Joe Boyle warned the closure would result in increased traffic on a dangerous road which ‘already has a high number of accidents and fatalities’.
Mr Boyle added that the road was already consistently beleaguered by maintenance disruption by both DfI Roads and NI Water at short notice.
“This will no doubt cause a great deal of inconvenience to those travelling to their work, those within construction and farming and those attending six places of education.”
Councillor Boyle concluded that the alternative arrangements ‘fall well short of what is needed’.
Michelle McIlveen MLA and Alderman Robert Adair have joined the chorus of disapproval over the lack of sufficient warning or engagement with local elected representatives and stakeholders.
“We need joined-up approach with Department and council to work together navigate the through these inconvenient but essential works minimising disruption and ensuring passengers have the most comfortable and convenient alternative journey provision during these five weeks,” the politicians said in a joint statement.
Nick Mathison MLA, Alliance’s Education spokesman, expressed concern for pupils facing a 90-minute bus trip twice a day, to school then home.
“Many of the pupils will be preparing for exams. Having additional long bus trips is something I feel could have been avoided,” he said.
“If a passenger ferry is being provided, why can groups of students not be transported safely to the other side, allowing them to travel on normal school buses?”
Councillor Pete Wray also took issue with the short notice heralding the closure, and echoed concerns about the impact on the A20 road between Portaferry and Newtownards.
“Once again decisions around the Strangford Ferry have been made with little to no engagement with or consideration for the community or elected representatives,” he said.
A DfI spokesman said it recognised the ferry’s importance to the community, stressing the timing of the works were ‘carefully considered’ around the school holiday schedule and half-term, ‘to reduce disruption’.
The DfI statement also pointed to passenger numbers for July and August compared to October and November, stating that ‘over recent years, show an average reduction in total passenger numbers of almost 40%’.
