Forth hovercraft idea lifts off

Transport tycoon Brian Souter's Stagecoach group is to run the service for three weeks next month to see how popular it is with travellers.

The service, which promises to cut up to an hour off some bus journey times, could become a permanent fixture within 18 months if the trial is successful.

The hovercraft will take up to 150 foot passengers at a time between Kirkcaldy and the beach beside Portobello Promenade during the trial run.

A temporary walkway is expected to be built behind the Lothian Buses' depot on Seafield Road East. A shuttle bus will then take passengers into the city centre.

The hovercraft will take around 20 minutes to make the trip between Kirkcaldy and Portobello. That compares with around an hour and a half by bus from Kirkcaldy into the city centre.

The 105ft-long vessel, borrowed from the Isle of Wight-based Hoverwork, could operate in most conditions in the Forth, travelling at speeds of up to 45mph in waves of up to two metres.

The original idea behind the venture had been for the link to operate between Kirkcaldy and Leith, but the lack of a suitable landing site at the port has seen the 15,000 trial move to Portobello.

It is likely to involve bus passengers on the Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh route being offered tickets for the hovercraft.

They will then be questioned about their travel experience, including the speed, convenience and comfort of the service.

Operator Stagecoach said it was still finalising the trial's details but it would launch next month.

A Stagecoach spokesman said: "The trial will allow us to assess the hovercraft and what it is capable of, but also what passengers make of the experience in terms of comfort, noise and other issues.

"We are still working on the finer details of the trials, such as frequency of crossings and exact landing points, and will release this information in due course."

Lawrence Marshall, the Portobello councillor and chairman of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority, which runs the Forth Road Bridge, welcomed the trial.

He said: "When I raised this with the community council, there were some concerns, but they are genuinely positive towards the hovercraft proposal.

"If this is successful, that becomes another option to cross the Forth, though I'm not convinced the crossing would be any quicker than the train for many journeys.

"To the road bridge, this would only make a small difference to the existing volume of traffic, but it is good to offer people choices.

"To come across the Forth on a hovercraft would be more pleasant than being stuck in a car, and it could even become a tourist attraction.

"If it is successful and we are looking to the long-term, we need to look at better access to the beach by buses."

It is understood discussions between Stagecoach and Lothian Buses have taken place about operating the shuttle bus from Portobello into the city centre.

Councillor Ricky Henderson, the city's new transport leader, said: "It will be interesting to see if there is a customer base for an alternative to a bridge crossing across the Forth.

"I think the more options we can provide for people the better, and I look forward to seeing what happens with the hovercraft initiative."