Claim that absence of ferry gangway is dangerous 15/2/12
A Cal Mac passenger has lodged an official complaint to the shipping safety regulator, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), that travellers are being put in a dangerous position by the temporary ferry deployed on the Stornoway to Ullapool route.
No gangway is available for the MV Hebridean Isles and passengers have to get on and off the via the external car ramp at the bow of the ship and onto the lower deck before climbing stairs to the passenger accommodation.
The Hebridean Isles is covering while the MV Isle of Lewis is being repaired after smashing into the harbour wall while leaving drydock on the Mersey last week.
As a smaller vessel the Hebridean Isles is not the right design to use a suitable gangway at both west coast destination piers.
But one Lewis resident wrote to MCA chiefs yesterday maintaining she should have a proper gangway rigged up, believing access through the car deck is breaking the law.
He said, on Monday, he "travelled as a foot passenger on the Hebridean Isles crossing to Ullapool on the 7am sailing and returning on the evening sailing.
"On arriving at the quayside I discovered that there was no gangway access to the vessel as required under the Means of Access Regulations 1988 and all foot passengers had to access the vessel via the linkspan, bow ramp and car deck. This was the case at both Stornoway and Ullapool.
"I raised the issue with the vessel's master and was told that this was a regular practice on the vessel on the various routes she serves and that they had carried out risk assessments etc."
"I inquired if the vessel had a dispensation from the MCA exempting her from the requirements of the Means of Access Regulations 1988 and he did not know what I was talking about.
"On both the outward and return passage, many of my fellow passengers complained bitterly about boarding arrangements.
"As many of the passengers were elderly they found the boarding arrangement via the car deck onerous."
A Cal Mac spokesman rejected the claim and insisted passengers walking down the vehicle linkspan and onto the ferry’s car ramp was perfectly safe.
He said: "The use of the linkspan and ramp is standard practice where the gangways
are not suitable and, as long as the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers,
is properly managed is entirely safe and legal. It is also fully in-
He highlighted that risk assessments have been carried with staff and crew guiding and escorting passengers from ship to quayside. There is a ban on any vehicle movements whilst passengers are being led on board.
Cal Mac also pointed out that: "The decision to replace the MV Clansman (the previous relief ship) with the MV Hebridean Isles while the MV Isle of Lewis was unavailable has nothing whatsoever to do with "commercial pressures to avoid financial penalties" and everything to do with ensuring that a service between Ullapool and Stornoway was maintained while the MV Isle of Lewis was unavailable.
"We also needed to ensure that MV Clansman was released so it and MV Hebrides could
be dry-