Ferry firm floats idea for super-size Forth service

Published on Tuesday 29 July 2008 10:40

A FERRY firm has launched a bid for a 300-capacity service between Fife and the Capital.

Transport chiefs are already drawing up plans for a 75-passenger service between Burntisland and Granton, but Orkney-based Pentland Ferries wants to carry up to four times as many people on the same route.

It is understood the firm has claimed it can make the 30-minute sailing a commercial success, but has asked for public funding to build the pontoons and passenger waiting rooms required.

A second sailing between either Kirkcaldy or Methil to Granton would also be added if the first route is successful.

Plans for a separate hovercraft service between Leith and Kirkcaldy have stalled in recent months after a row over public funding for the scheme.

Professor Alf Baird, the head of the maritime research group at Napier University, said today: "It is interesting that the operator is saying that he can run the operation without a subsidy.

"So it would be just the case of getting the support infrastructure, such as pontoons and shelters, in place for the service to get going.

"Ninety-five per cent of urban ferry services around the world are on catamarans, so it is a proven technology and I think we should be listening to what this operator has got to say.

"This would provide a viable alternative to the road travel options for people."

Plans for a 20-minute Burntisland-to-Granton ferry link won the backing of Fife and Edinburgh councils last year after a study backed them over a hovercraft because of the quicker turnaround times.

Around 3.4 million of public cash is needed in order to build pontoons, reception facilities and car parks for the ferry link. Around half of this money is in place.

A ferry service operated between Burntisland and Granton in the early 1990s, but stopped due to dwindling passenger numbers.

Earlier this year, Stagecoach stopped work on a hovercraft service across the Forth until it gets answers over what public money the proposed Leith-Kirkcaldy link would receive.

The Perth-based firm has pledged to put 10.3m into the scheme, but is looking for a public sector subsidy of 3.3m over the first three years to build jetties and waiting rooms.

Alex Macaulay, partnership director of SEStran, said: "The operator has come to us with a proposal which would see him run the service without any assistance but the passenger facilities would be built by public agencies.

"Obviously the proposal is for much bigger vessels than first envisaged, so questions over whether the harbours would be big enough would need to be answered."

Pentland Ferries operates two ships between Orkney and the mainland. Owner Andrew Banks was unavailable for comment as he is sailing another catamaran the firm has just purchased back from the Philippines.