Just days after assurances that a normal scheduled service would be maintained, the Isle of Wight Council has announced that the Floating Bridge will be out of action for a period of 6 hours on Saturday and again on Sunday.
Despite there being no legal reasons for staff to take time off work, a number of positive COVID tests over the past few days means that there are not enough team members to operate the East Cowes to Cowes service.
There was a 12-hour suspension on Wednesday but the local authority said it would continue to maintain the scheduled hours of operation otherwise.
Now, it has been confirmed that between 08:00-14:00 tomorrow and again on Sunday, there will be no service at all.
A launch service will be in operation for foot passengers and cyclists.
The Isle of Wight Council apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.
No they have a cold.How pathetic!
I don’t think it is wise to play down the seriousness of Covid, it is showing it can have long term effects on people, especially on breathing, and memory. Hence the need to continue taking precautions yourselves unless you think you are so fit you won’t catch it!
No, they have Covid you Idiot. Learn to read you prat. Lol
Interesting, as far as I know, that the replacement launch service despite its many many deployments has never ever failed to sail. No sick time. No lack of staff. No technical difficulties. Just switch over permanently to that while a swing bridge is built. IWC you suck.
Typical. What else do you expect of our beloved council. Sack em all
Excellent! Spark up the electric signs!
Would do, but the sign switch technician is off sick as well …
Isn’t the floating bridge operated in the open air – sea air at that? Would be interesting to see how they are catching Covid, perhaps the Council need to supply their staff with face masks foc naturally.
Not meaning to be boring but, i am still waiting to be called for standby training at nil cost
to cover the sick notes on the floating bridge
Perhaps someone needs to let the Council know, or have they all gone sick with Covid.
Have they really got Covid or just fancy some time off on full pay?
It the latest wheeze to get time off whilst being paid…scallies dream..All for a cold!!
this council thinks we have just got of a banana boat , maybe now is the time for us islanders to havce a vote on this floating disarster to keep it or sink it .
Actually I applaud the Floating Bridge owners for putting public safety first. And as some of he respondents point out, the replacement launch is better than the Floating Bridge.
But it’s not the floating bridge owners who are telling staff to go off sick, it’s the staff themselves who are calling in sick.
In many of these cases, the person claiming to have covid doesn’t need to show a positive test result, they simply phone in and say they have the virus and take 3-5 days off work. The floating bridge workers aren’t the only ones doing this, but it does seem to be predominately public service workers.
There’s a lot of colds going around at the moment and I’m going to take a wild guess that some people with a cold are claiming it’s covid and going off work. Or, I may have just grown cynical recently.
This machine has to go i am fed up paying this council for shody workmanship ,and the council expect the public to keep dipping in there pockets WHY has there not been a prosecution on this wight elephant ,and this council keeps fobing of the rate payers .. Put this wight elephant on the junk heap were it belongs .