Islanders win fight for Jura ferry funding

The council has agreed to keep funding Jura's "vital" passenger ferry between Tayvallich and Craighouse, after islanders fought "tooth and nail" for a decision, with just weeks before the seasonal service starts.

 

Jura Development Trust, in an appeal last week titled Jura Passenger Ferry - We need your help, said: "Argyll and Bute Council, for reasons which remain mysterious, will still not confirm their 20 per cent contribution for the Jura passenger ferry for this year (it wasn't in the budget cut proposals).

 

"We're not going to lie, this has been a huge (and unexpected) challenge this year. We're really pushing hard to get their commitment ASAP - we know people need to plan (including us).

 

"We have met with them several times, provided all the passenger figures, finances, contracts and background information, but they still will not confirm their position or tell us when they will give us a decision.

 

"After 13 successful years, Transport Scotland are still happy to fund their 80 per cent, but will only do this if there is ongoing commitment from the council.

 

"Members of the community wrote letters of support for the passenger ferry, highlighting how important it is to them as residents.

 

"If you are a resident of Jura, or run a business on Jura and you value the service, please email our local councillors to ask for their help - we've done all that we can with the officers in the council.

 

"If the service is to continue, we need the council to confirm their 20 per cent contribution and we need a fast decision."

 

One islander explained the ferry "reduces travel time from around 12 hours for a round-trip to less than four hours. Some of us want to make use of it and need to plan to get off the island. At this point, I am worried we might lose the ferry altogether."

 

Another islander said: "Given the unreliability of CalMac vessels and the potential for a one vessel timetable ongoing into to summer, it would be very handy to have the passenger ferry!"

 

A third islander wrote: "How exactly do these threats to the ferry and service point accord with the government's wish to repopulate the islands?"

 

Jura's service point was saved from council budget cuts last month, following local outrage.

 

Kirsten Gow posted her letter of support for the Jura passenger ferry, "highlighting how important it is to me on both the work and personal level, as a resident of Jura.

 

"I have used it to attend meetings and personal events in a far more cost and time efficient way than alternative routes.

 

"The ferry has improved the perception of Jura being an accessible place that you can visit for a day."

 

A council spokesperson told us on Tuesday: "Councils increasingly have to focus funding on services we have a duty to deliver, after years of multi-million pound cuts to budgets. We do not have a duty to fund the Jura passenger ferry.

 

"However, we remain keen to support our communities’ wishes as much as we can and are pleased to confirm that we can again provide a 20 per cent contribution to the costs of the ferry.”