Tuesday 23 June 2009

Sunday ferries debate

A debate on Sunday ferries will be going out live on Isles FM (also by Internet) on Friday - 26 June - from the Bridge Centre, Bayhead at 5pm-6pm. The panelists will apparently include Cllr Angus Campbell, Cllr Phillip Maclean, John Macleod (Journalist), Rev Iain D Campbell, Uisdean Macleod and Ian Fordham. Leading the debate is Iain X MacIver. This will be a good opportunity to hear the logical arguments against a 7-day ferry service.

As far as I know it's open to the public so if you have nothing better to do (!) please come along and feel free to forward to anyone else interested.

For anyone outside the UK: 5pm = 1600 GMT.

13 comments:

  1. hope I can get home in time to hear that, Arnish, I think it will be interesting!

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  2. Answer to the problem is an extra sailing the other six days. Let's face it there's nothing for tourists on a Sunday and even if Calmac started a Sunday service, the tourists can't all pile into Engelbrets and the indigenous population won't change their ways while the Church holds sway.

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  3. Calum, the ferry won't stand three sailings a day for 6 days a week!

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  4. No prizes for guessing which side John MacLeod is on :-)

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  5. Looks a well balanced panel in terms of opinions but if John Macleod has as much say as he has recently on Heb News letters then may get one sided.
    It takes a brave person to stand up and say, in the face of entrenched views and powerful opposition, that common sense must prevail,choice for all and no more double-standards from decision makers on this Island......I am sure our Local Cllr Maclean will be in one of the hottest seats (I will be liostening in)....RJG

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  6. The ferries at the moment are a nightmare, both going on and off the island, I'm told that every saturday ferry in July is fully booked going both dircetions and there is currently a waiting list. It's incredibly frustrating for those of us who live here and want to go and spend time with family etc. A sunday ferry would provide more choice and flexibility for those travelling on and off the island, especially at this time of year. Re. the tourism arguement, the ferry is full of motorhomes which is causing real problems in many areas as there aren't proper facilities for them and where there are it seems they don't want to pay for them so whilst numbers might be increasing their contribution to to the local economy isn't in many places.

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  7. to be honest this is repetative of the flying on sunday debate... those against those for. The bottom line is that 'God gave man freedom of choice'..... freedom to choose what to do in any situation. if the ferry sales on sunday or not... it is every persons right to choose whether to go on it or not. To argue against the right of the ferry to sales is going against God's given grace to allow people to have frredom of choice..

    enough said!!

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  8. yes, you're right about motorhomes ... they've been causing havoc in my little car-park from time to time - some of them are *huge*, and there sure have been an awful lot of them, just on my little side-road ...!

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  9. I'm allergic to discussions about motorhomes - it brought about the demise of the forum on Visithebrides.com in 2006/7. Am fully conversant with all the pros and cons of the things, including toilet troubles and what not.

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  10. very interesting,balanced debate but sound quality issues. Will be repeated 6pm (BST) Monday 29th.........why not tune in and hear for yourself?.............RJG

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  11. A good debate however I did rather want to ask them to turn off the mobile phone that kept interfering with the sound.

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  12. Hack-Man couldn't wait to scamper from the debate to compose his latest effort at burying all credible reasoning against a Sunday ferry. Have a read of his very disturbing letter on Heb News. He seems to be revelling in the public humiliation of a small business owner (who make up an important part of the economy here) who was forced to close because he made an attempt to open on Sundays. There is nothing tounge in cheek about it. The whole piece is worrying to say the least and anyone with sectioning powers should be writing out the forms now.
    Does a group calling itself 'Campaign for 7-Day Sailings' actually exist?

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  13. I think that's why he doesn't have a column in one of our national newspapers any more. Intemperate and intolerant to a degree.

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