SPT sinks the Renfrew Ferry after 500 years service
January 24, 2010 by localnews
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has voted 14 to five to withdraw the Renfrew Ferry service which links Yoker and Renfrew. The move will save SPT around £430,000 per year in subsidies which it pays to support the route. SPT pays around £3 for every passenger journey, while the fare is only £1.20. A ferry has operated the route for over 500 years.
The current vessels, the Renfrew Rose and the Yoker Swan, are reaching the end of their working lives and do not comply with accessibility laws. To bring them both in line with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) would cost in excess of £2 million. SPT Chairman Alistair Watson said the decision to end the Ferry service had been made with great regret. He said: “The decision to close the Renfrew ferry was not an easy one and we recognise that it has served communities across the Clyde very well for a long time. “The sad reality is that we are living in an exceptional financial climate. Like all local councils we have had to make extremely difficult choices on where to cut public spending. “SPT is making a substantial loss to keep the ferry running and that is simply unsustainable.”
SPT are in talks with four private firms who may be interested in maintaining the ferry service.
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