The Kilcreggan to Gourock ferry timetable has been changed once again.
Operators Clydelink announced on Friday night that a new schedule would take effect from today (Monday), with 12 rather than 15 sailings on weekdays.
Over the weekend the company then said that the Island Princess’ final sailing from Gourock would be at 18.10 rather than the newly published time of 18.05, so that commuters coming home from Glasgow could still catch the 17.25 connecting train.
And on Monday evening the third timetable within four days appeared on SPT’s website.
It now shows 13 sailings per day, with the first departures several minutes earlier than previously and a boat leaving Kilcreggan at 07.51, meaning commuters could again catch a train due to reach Glasgow before 9am. The first ferry of the day will now leave Kilcreggan at 07.07.
A tweet by @kilcregganferry on Monday evening read: “As of 1706 tonight the attached timetable becomes active”; tweets over the weekend thanked Cove and Kilcreggan Community Council and commuters for their feedback.
The timetable changes were said to be due to new berthing procedures enforced by the MCA.
No statements about the service have appeared on SPT’s website since January, when a press statement said new operators Clydelink would save the public over £190,000 using a new-build boat.
So this what passes for professionalism in transport circles these days? My journey to work in the morning now includes a 28 minute wait in Gourock station where there are no facilities – is this what SPT call joining up journeys? SPT senior management have already publicly stated that they don’t want to run this service and seem to have a strategy of trashing the service until no-one uses it – shame on them that they are causing so much heartache to communities in doing so.