A PUBLIC meeting is to be held on Cumbrae this week to discuss the ongoing issues affecting the island's ferry service.

The meeting will take place after the island's ferry link with Largs was hit by two suspensions of service in the same day - and by the withdrawal of the route's usual ferry for essential repairs.

MV Loch Riddon was taken off service on the morning of Monday, April 8 to allow crew members to clean up an oil spill from a vehicle on the vessel's car deck.

And though the timetable resumed later that morning, the service was suspended for a second time just before 1pm because of a fuel pressure issue on on the vessel.

READ MORE: CalMac suspends its Cumbrae ferry service for the second time today

That problem, too, was fixed, and the vessel returned to service within the hour.

But a wait time of four hours built up for vehicles waiting to board at Largs, with a three-hour wait for vehicles at Cumbrae Slip.

The problems are compounded by the absence of the route's usual ferry, MV Loch Shira, which has been taken to dry dock for repairs to both its vehicle ramps.

 

 

Prior to its withdrawal for repairs, MV Loch Shira had been forced to operate single-ended, with vehicles having to reverse on board, because one of its two ramps was out of acion.

As well as being older than the usual ship, MV Loch Riddon is much smaller, with room for only 12 cars, as against the usual capacity of 24 on MV Loch Shira - though this can be increased to up to 36.

Businesses, commuters, islanders, second-home owners and visitors are invited to attend this week's meeting to discuss the impact of the current ferry issues and look at potential actions as a community.

It will be attended by representatives of the Ferry Users Group and Cumbrae Community Development Company and island-based Councillor Todd Ferguson has also been asked to attend.

The meeting will take place at 7pm on Tuesday, April 9, at Garrison House, and everyone is invited.