Consultation on cross-Forth passenger service
The results of an exercise to sound out interest in a cross-Forth passenger vessel service are expected to be published this month.
A hovercraft on the Forth in 2008.
- By Craig Smith
- Published in the Courier : 18.01.11
- Published online : 18.01.11 @ 08.31pm
Fife and City of Edinburgh councils have been jointly searching for operators who would be willing to provide a transport service over the water in recent months, despite the prospect of little or no public subsidy being available.
Perth transport firm Stagecoach has submitted planning applications to create hovercraft terminals at Kirkcaldy and Portobello, following a successful trial almost four years ago, and has also secured £14m of private funding to get the project up and running.
However, both councils were keen to also explore other options and launched a market-sounding exercise last year.
Operators were asked to declare an interest in running services from either Burntisland or Kirkcaldy on the Fife side to Granton, Leith or Portobello on the Edinburgh side.
While it is unclear how successful that has been, Dr Bob McLellan, head of transportation services with Fife Council, said that the exercise is complete and the findings will be presented to councillors shortly.
He said, "A paper will be going to the enterprise, environment and transportation committee on January 27 with the results of this exercise."
It has been described by both authorities as allowing "interested organisations with appropriate experience" to outline their views with no commitment to themselves or either council.
Promising 2007 trial
Although there was a rough brief to go on, the councils stressed that other potential routes and combinations would also be considered and that there is no preferred vessel type.
They added that the service should ideally operate seven days a week and 16 hours a day, with a 30-minute or better frequency during peak times, while it should take no fewer than 75 passengers, be compliant with disability regulations and operate in waves of up to two metres.
As a result, the forthcoming report to Fife Council should provide an insight into the likely level of interest, the feasibility of such a crossing and how any proposed procurement process for the project should work.
Stagecoach's plans for a hovercraft service are still understood to be progressing, after it pledged to put £7 million into the project, with that sum being matched by Gibraltar hovercraft maker Bland Group.
Stagecoach chiefs have, however, repeatedly suggested public money is still needed to get any initiative off the ground but both Fife and Edinburgh said in their brief that the cross-Forth passenger operation is expected to be "self-financing" given the apparent lack of public subsidy available, with any capital costs associated with the construction of port/landing infrastructure also likely to be borne by the operator.
The bus firm's Forthfast trial in 2007 saw 32,000 passengers use the hovercraft between Kirkcaldy and Portobello in just a fortnight, prompting the company to pursue the idea further.
It sees the hovercraft as a way of cutting congestion on the Forth Road Bridge and reducing carbon emissions, with estimates suggesting up to 870,000 people would use the service each year.
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