Thursday 14 May 2009

We will get a Sunday ferry

We are getting a ferry on Sunday. Question is now not if, but when. Calmac has said it would be unlawful to withhold a service on Sunday on account of human rights consideration. Consultation is to start shortly, but until this is complete no timetables will be published. The Lord's Day Observance Society has promised Calmac a fight, for putting the law of money over the law of God.

Source: BBC Highlands & Islands

18 comments:

  1. Re LOS. Whatever happened to following the whole of the word. I refer of course to the injunction," Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."

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  2. Following the whole of the word would just lead to confusion, HB, because of the many contradictions. The pick'n'mix approach works much better and suits everybody :-)

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  3. You're right Les.

    In a strange turning of tables as it seems pretty certain that Sunday sailings WILL happen now, the only way of stopping it from coming to pass would be for the Comhairle to hold a referendum of the electorate to seek their views along the lines I have previously suggested!

    If the majority wanted to retain the status quo, then the Comhairle would have a democratic mandate for continuing to refuse to permit Sunday landings in Stornoway and Tarbert.

    The irony of the new situation isn't lost on me!

    As I've indicated elsewhere it is in the power of the Comhairle to hold such a referendum, an individual elector cannot force the Comhairle to do it though.

    So the ball's now firmly in the court of the Comhairle!

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  4. Only incomers want a Sunday Ferry........
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    Of course the above statement is absolutely false,
    but I'll bet the very people that would be immediately outraged by this statement are the very same ones who believe that it is only people who go to church on the Isle of Lewis who are the only ones that don't.
    Why does it have to be about the church all the time, I suppose everybody needs someone to blame!

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  5. Quietly surprised at the tone of reactions so far - did not anticipate the broadly negative tendency. Will review again in a few days' time, when the dust has settled a bit.

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  6. Hurrah from Gravir......common sense and the right to travel are all that is at stake here. Ferry runs you then CHOOSE to use it or not rather than deny the option.,,,,,sorry some peeps above but let's be real here please?........RJG

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  7. Not that I would want in any way to promote a Sunday ferry :wink: but this letter should be of interest to all you folk who are going to choose not to use the ferry when it comes.

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  8. Does this mean that Cal Mac will now have to provide a daily service on all of it 's routes then. This doesn't happen at the moment, not all routes are served every day of the week.

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  9. Actually Chris that's a very good point. As I sort of implied earlier nothing much has changed except that Calmac can't refuse to run a service on religious grounds. They can though still simply say 'We don't want to run a service'.

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  10. Not all islands are served all days of the week, even when you leave the Sunday out of the equation.

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  11. May I just very respectfully point out that you got the affable Mr B from us up here in Orkney. I hope you're pleased with the bargain...
    We have Northlink from Stromness, Banks's boat from St Margaret's Hope and the Groaty Boaty from Burwick (summer and foot passengers only) which all, as far as I know, operate on Sundays. Civilisation as we know it has not come crashing down in disarray. In fact people here would be most indignant if we took such a step backwards.
    Perhaps Calmac should try a trial period of Sunday services from Stornoway and see what the uptake is like. I'm willing to bet a case of Whiskas meaty chunks it would prove popular.

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  12. With all due respect, FC, situation ever so slightly different here in Lewis & Harris. A lot of people about who feel that operating a ferry on Sundays is breaking the Sabbath. Not so many of those about 150 miles to the east, where you reside :-)

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  13. Praise the lord and pass the ammo!

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  14. Most of you are missing the point of Sunday ferries- passengers and cars are being turned away every week in Ullapool, because the ferry does not have sufficient capacity in the summer.

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  15. A Native of Somewhere17 May 2009 at 11:32

    As I understand the Calmac decision is in response to a letter of complaint to the Human Rights Commision (European) and brings the matter under "Freedom of Choice". If there is a Sunday Ferry then there is no pressure on Shop Owners to open on Sundays, that is a matter of choice for the individuals concerned, they are protected under the same law. There is no pressure for those opposed to the service to use it that's a matter of personal choice and freedom. At the same time Calmac should undertake to ensure none of its workers are forced or pressurised into working on a Sunday if they do not wish to. I don't think they will have much of a problem finding staff willing to do so of there own free will though.

    Will it make a difference to the Island. Of course it will. As 'The Native' points out the service is often full during the summer. Additionally having Sunday sailings opens up the possibility for tourism with the economic benefits for 2/3 day weekend breaks both on and off the Island. We are fortunate to have RET and it does benefit us all, but the extra sailings on Sundays would, coupled with RET, give so much more opportunity for travel to and from the Island - e.g. Islanders could go to SPL etc, matches and not have to miss the 2nd half or take an extra day off work!

    I have always found the reference to Incomers amusing. I have been an "Incomer" wherever I have lived since I left my birth place at the age of 7 (a long time ago!), though never labelled as such until moving to the Island! Of course it is not just Incomers that want the ferry. Lots of Incomers go to Church or are Christians and do not want a Sunday Ferry. Lots of Incomers do not go to Church or are not Christians and do not want a Sunday Ferry. Lots of Incomers go to Church or are Christians and do want a Sunday Ferry, etc etc, and funnily enough the same applies to Islanders/Natives some want it some don't, church going or christian or not. Isn't freedom a wonderful thing? Freedom of speech, choice, freedom to walk on the beach on a Sunday, freedom to drive (however badly) to Church on a Sunday (and park illegally??!!).

    Anyway time for Church!

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  16. A Native of Somewhere - sensible and astute in more ways than one :wink: I salute you!

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  17. 2 months on.....an answer.
    We WILL have Sunday Sailings...Calmac are launching from Sunday 19th July...have attached link to heb news...


    http://www.hebridesnews.co.uk/calmac-to-introduce-sunday-service.html

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  18. now the sunday ferry is coming, once again this Island will be the joke of the country.....as it was after the first sunday flights and the first sunday harris ferry. News coverage of sallow faced, so called "christians" holding a silent protest...or even worse, prostesting from home, because they believe they will be breaking the sabbath if the go out to protest.
    "its been this islands way of live for hundreds of years" the opponents cry.

    Well, things change......if the rest of the country stood by the "way of life for hundreds of years" senario, we would still believe that the internet is the work of satan, believe that the earth is flat, and religious biggots would dictate the law.........well I suppose two out of three ain`t bad on Lewis

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