Thursday 28 March 2024
 6.4°C   NE Fresh Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Transport / Ferry and flight studies to be presented in coming months

Council ferries are currently cash-only, but moves are being made to bring card and contactless payments on board.

THE FUTURE shape of Shetland’s inter-island ferry and flight networks could become clearer in the coming weeks and months when findings from studies into service levels and infrastructure are presented.

Staff at Shetland Islands Council and isles transport partnership ZetTrans have been working for months with consultants on outline business cases for ferries and flights which will give recommendations on how the networks could be run in the future.

Among the business cases is an examination of the inter-island flight network and whether Tingwall Airport remains a suitable base for flights.

There has also been work into ferry service levels and recommended vessel and harbour infrastructure solutions for Fair Isle and Whalsay.

It comes against a backdrop where the council is needing to find savings of around £15.6 million over the next four to five years.

ZetTrans lead officer Michael Craigie told a meeting of the transport partnership on Thursday that the outline business cases should be presented in the next six to 10 weeks.

“The combination of these reports will provide the most up to date evidence to support the case to be used in the continued work with Transport Scotland and Scottish Government to establish a long term position on the funding and delivery of inter-island ferry services and infrastructure requirements,” he wrote in a report to members.

Craigie added that while the ferry and flight work have been undertaken separately, they are “highly integrated and the conclusions of the two studies deliver a network of complementary recommendations to achieve the optimum balance of services where appropriate”.

In addition to ferries and flights, the council and ZetTrans are also working on a business case covering public bus, school and adult social care transport.

The main reason behind this is bus contracts coming to an end in August 2020 – but it is also hoped that money can be saved through redesigning the service.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

ZetTrans chairman Ryan Thomson said the ferry and air business cases are intended to ensure the provision meets the needs of island communities.

“The outline business cases for Fair Isle and Whalsay and the inter-island air services review are designed to make sure that the services that they provide the islanders, meet the needs of the islanders,” he said after the meeting.

“The ferry service for Whalsay – make sure that that meets the needs of the community and the islanders, as well as the inter-island air service as well for Fair Isle, Foula and Papa Stour, to make sure that is fit for purpose and meets the needs of the islanders as well.”

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.