Anger at broken Mull ferry gangway delaying passengers on one of CalMac's busiest routes
Islanders condemn fiasco as a “symptom of a dysfunctional system”
Islanders on one of CalMac’s busiest routes are angry at the failure of a passenger boarding gangway which has caused ferry delays and missed connections.
Passengers travelling on Mull’s main link to the mainland, which carries more than 500,000 people a year, are being forced to walk on and off via the car deck instead.
The latest setback follows the historic paddle steamer Waverley rescuing stranded passengers in May after the route’s ageing main ferry Isle of Mull broke down, which subsequently went out of service for separate repairs to its bow door.
The island’s ferry committee said the problem at Craignure should have been fixed years ago after the covered walkway was installed in 2011 as a temporary solution using hand-me-down components from previous “passenger access systems” (PAS).
Scottish Government port and ferry-owning firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (Cmal) has confirmed the PAS “will not be returned to service in its current form”, with other options being considered for the Oban route - CalMac’s fourth busiest.
It admitted the failure would “impact” locals and visitors “particularly during the busier summer period”.
The Mull and Iona Ferry Committee, which represents passengers, called for faster action.
It said the PAS had been broken for months because a fault in a “relatively minor and simple part of the system” - a winch which raises and lowers the final gangway of the three-section PAS that links it to ferries.
The committee said it understood that if the winch was repaired, the entire PAS would have to be upgraded to meet safety regulations.
Chair Joe Reade said: “Cmal installed a ‘temporary’ PAS in 2011, and the plan was for it to be adopted by Argyll and Bute Council for them to maintain and then ultimately replace. That never happened. It has now broken again.
“All passengers are having to transit via the car deck, which is increasing turnaround and causing delays and missed connections. It is a symptom of a dysfunctional system.
“It’s astonishing that months after the breakage of a very minor component, rather than getting the system fixed, we are given pointless statements. Just get the thing fixed.”
Cmal, which owns the PAS, said it was working on alternatives with CalMac and specialist advisers. Argyll and Bute Council owns the ferry terminal.
Cmal director of port infrastructure and planning Ramsay Muirhead said: “The most likely solution has focused on utilising the PAS platform in a fixed position at a level to allow access over the brow gangway within a certain tidal window.
“It was recognised from the outset that this would not suit all sailings, but it was felt worthwhile to explore whether a significant proportion could be accommodated.
“Analysis of tidal forecast data and timetabled sailings is continuing and will be considered along with operational practicality to determine the suitability of this option.
“CalMac Ferries is managing passenger access to vessels via the car decks at the port at an operational level.
“Operations are being managed as efficiently as possible by frontline staff.”
A spokesperson for Cmal added: “We continue to work with CalMac, Argyll and Bute Council and advisers to explore practical options for improving passenger access at Craignure, while ensuring the safety of passengers, staff and vessel crews remains the priority."
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