The Cowes Floating Bridge remains out of service whilst investigations continue into a faulty drive motor.
It was last Thursday that the troubled vessel was pulled from operations when it became stuck in the middle of the River Medina.
Engineers have been working to resolve the situation ever since and it has now been confirmed that a drive motor is to blame for the latest disruption.
The Isle of Wight Council has been unable to provide an estimated repair time.
A launch service for foot passengers and cyclists remains in operation between East and West Cowes.
Oh come on this a like a very bad Channel 5 comedy now, and an expensive one at that.
Coming soon “Floating Bridge” The story of an ill fated, overfunded travesty of transport infrastructure, see how the staff and council confound the public into ensuring that this problem ridden thing is really “worth it” and not a drain on public finances. A channel 5 comedy series. ( Based on reality, there are no coincidences, this is real. )
Oh come on Island Echo, you should know it’s Cowes and East Cowes. There is no WEST Cowes !!!!!!
Do some research, Islander!
The name Westcowe was attested in 1413 as the name of one of two sandbanks, on each side of the Medina estuary.
West Cowes is clearly indicated on an 1836 Thomas Moule map of the Island.
Up until the late 19th Century the Urban District Council bore the name West Cowes, but in 1895 West Cowes Urban District Council changed the name of the town to Cowes.
The name West Cowes remained on Admiralty charts until 2015, when it was amended to ‘Cowes’.
Red Funnel has continued to use the name West Cowes in its publicity, and as the name for the town’s terminal.
First word is appropriate, faulty, next two words (drive motor) irrelevant.
How long does it take to check a drive motor ifworks or it don’t
Time they torpedoed this.
Scrap it. Build a bridge. Make boat owners wait for the bridge like they have to everywhere else. The majority suffer because some posh types want to be able to use their boat when they like.
Practically the busiest time of the year this pile of rusty useless junk let’s us all down YET AGAIN ! when will they accept it’s not fit for purpose? ENOUGH NOW !
The seventh wonder of the Isle of Wight, the floating bridge that doesn’t – maybe the council bureaucrats could recoup some money by having its picture printed on novelty t shirts and then flog them to tourists to recoup some cash? Then again it is the public sector so recouping money or delivering anything of value to the taxpayer is not really their thing is it ?
For Christ’s sake get rid of this embarrassing pile of junk and all people responsible in purchasing this. Build a bloody bridge once and for all. This overpaid Isle of Wight council of ours are not fit to shovel sh*t. Professional educated knobheads. Feel so sorry for visitors to this island who have to put up with this incompetence. You couldn’t make this up.
why is I.O.W so reluctant to put this on the dump, and not invest in a bridge, this can be construted very easy with the elevations of Cowes and East Cowes.its about time now to stop wasting public money ,and a full independant enquiry ,and whos responsible for this approval and design .