By Lesley Walsh
A PORTAFERRY councillor has renewed calls for an earlier crossing on the Strangford Lough ferry route to cater for ‘an evolving and needs based society’.
Joe Boyle said a 7.15am crossing from Portaferry to Strangford was necessary and would be ‘of huge benefit to all users of the facility’.
His proposed earliest crossing would mark a 30-minute head start on the current first journey of the day which stands at 7.45am from the Portaferry side.
The 10 minute journey would then run 15 minutes earlier from the Strangford side, leaving at 7.30am.
The councillor has written to the Minister for Infrastructure (DfI), Liz Kimmins, calling for ‘thinking outside the box’.
There have been several calls in recent months, sparked by Strangford MLA Michelle McIlveen, for DfI to conduct a new feasibility study into a bridge linking Portaferry and Strangford as a means of easing traffic congestion in Newtownards.
Mrs Kimmins has rejected the call, saying there is no plan before 2035 to consider a bridge. But Mr Boyle says it is not time to look at what can actually be provided on the ferry route.
“It is however important to deal with the here and now with the current operations of the Strangford Ferry Service and something that is actually deliverable upon without too many complications,” he said.
He said moves for earlier ferries called for ‘positive thinking outside of the box’, stating that was ‘something that hasn’t happened in years and is clearly required’.
“A 7.15am ferry from Portaferry, would be a huge improvement to greatly assist with the traffic flow involving construction, agriculture, fishing and others by transporting 25 to 28 vehicles across Strangford Lough, achieving some destinations by 8am rather than sitting in the middle of Strangford Lough at that time,” he maintained.
He said that would ‘have a domino effect of transporting all vehicles at more appropriate times in the morning across the lough’ and would result in ‘less queuing and a better quality of road safety’ for traffic in each town serviced by the ferry.
Turning to a feasibility study on a bridge over Strangford Lough, he stressed ‘we must all be aware that Strangford Lough is one of the most protected marine environments in the UK and Ireland’ and that such a structure could encounter ‘enormous environmental and legal hurdles’. And he warned it was ‘important to be clear with the public’ over the feasibility of a bridge, and ‘not to build up or oversell what could be unachievable expectations’.
