Argyll and Bute’s MSP claims that the gangway to the Isle of Mull is not only failing residents but the visiting public to the west coast.
Michael Russell is insisting that a new system is purchased immediately to end the misery of ferry travel to the island.
Iromically, the MSP was on the way to Mull to open the An Roth business centre at Craignure – disembarking by this very gangway, on the very morning that The Herald broke the Spygate story at Argyll and Bute Council. His views of the gangway are therefore formed by recent first hand experience.
Writing to Transport Minister, Keith Brown, Mr Russell says: ‘The Passenger Access System at Craignure on Mull was at the forefront of almost all the conversations I had during a recent visit to the island.
‘There is considerable anger that despite a huge income from the pier (Ed: we understand this to be of the order of £1 million a year), Argyll and Bute Council appear unwilling to shoulder the responsibility of replacing a system that has, literally, collapsed – and the lack of which is, as we now see from an accident in recent weeks, creating real danger for foot passengers.
‘There is equal anger that two public bodies – the council and CMAL – are so devoid of a spirit of public service that they should spend their time bickering about meeting the cost of replacement rather than stepping up to the mark and putting the lives and livelihoods of the people of Mull, and their visitors, first.
‘And there is incredulity that the timescale for the replacement is now said to be something up to two years AFTER a decision to proceed is taken, with that decision now , according to the Council , contingent on the ferries review.
‘Could I ask you, on behalf of the people of Mull and the travelling public who use the pier and jointly with Councillors Devon and McCuish – the two SNP Councillors representing the island – to take urgent action to bang heads together to get some progress on what is rapidly becoming , in the words of one of my constituents on Mull, ‘a bloody disgrace’? ’
From the report of the accident at the gangway, it would seem necessary to hope that the angry description of the facility as ‘a bloody disgrace’ does not become literally just that.
As we understand it, this is solely a council responsibility with CMAL unable to act as it does not own the pier – while CalMac, its sister state owned ferry operator, pays the substantial harbour dues quoted above to the council.
For Argyll has consistently drawn attention to the serious failure of the council to maintain – never mind develop -Argyll’s infrastructure. Promising now – before an election - to spend money on roads which will cost substantially more than would have been the case had due maintenance been responsibly done over the years is three times culpable:
- there is no excuse for not carrying out due maintenance programmes
- the cost now is much more than it need have been
- that cost includes diverting funding away from services needed on a daily basis by the most vulnerable in our communities.
The Isle of Mull is a major tourist destination:
- in its own right
- for the attraction of its unique Eagle Hide at Loch Frisa (with golden and white tailed sea eagles resident there)
- for its whale and dolphin watching tours,
- for Tobermory
- for its major annual events like the Mull Rally and Mendelssohn on Mull
- and for the access the island offers to the holy Isle of Iona and to the Treshnish Isles, including Staffa,
For a major island like this, with long established tourism trails, to be left with its sole point of access a cause of potential injury is a sacking matter and a voting matter.
The council budget, as far as we can determine, made no allowance for the necessary repairs to the jetty at Criagnure.
We are also sure that Mull Councillor, Gordon Chalmers, of the Argyll and Bute Independent Councillors group, will be every bit as exercised by this dangerous dereliction of duty on the part of the council as are his colleagues Councillor Roddy McCuish of the SNP and canny ship-jumper, Councillor Mary Jean Devon, newly sailing in that party’s colours.
