The troubled Cowes Floating Bridge is being pulled from service tonight (Friday) over safety concerns, it has been confirmed.
Council officials say that Floating Bridge No.6 will not operate this weekend as a safety precaution due to concerns regarding a prow cable.
A temporary launch service will operate until engineers have inspected the vessel on Monday and any repairs are carried out.
It’s unclear when the East Cowes to Cowes crossing will resume, but it is likely to be at least 3 days.
The Isle of Wight Council apologise for any inconvenience.
Local councillor Karl Love says:
“Its one thing after another and every time it’s more money spent on another sticky plaster solution”.
Dammit…I’ve been driving back through Newport all week to east cowes from cowes….didn’t even think the floating ferry was running ..just seen this
Blah, Blah, Blah same issues, same stupid comments from our Council Leaders, same ‘bodge it up’ repairs and same disruption to anyone who relies on this floating pile of flotsam. Perhaps the ‘behind the scenes’ employees should have some of their £100k salaries repaid as it is these folk who did 90% of the planning and who are costing US millions, our normally vocal Councillors are terrified of actually doing something about this debacle so SACK them all at the elections and put someone in charge who can run this Island for OUR benefit and clean out the swamp that is County Hall.
Just goes to show it is NOT fit for service, will it ever be?
I think not.
More money spent on a sticky situation. Stop spending money on the thing then and put a bridge in its place
……so meanwhile on the Isle of Wight there is no news to report……
You couldn’t make this up lol .
How much longer are we going to be expected to throw money at the biggest joke on the island???
The cost of the non floating bridge the cost to push pull it !!!!!
Then the cost of The Jenny !!!!
Come on Councillor Stewart and gang we have all had enough of this never ending Fiasco!!!!!.
Second biggest joke
The first biggest is the council
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Isle of Wight Council. You are WASTING OUR MONEY on this NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE POS.
Oh dear. I bet Dave Stuart was hoping and praying this white elephant would keep going until after the next election. Something very fishy about the procurement of this vessel. Has anyone thats truly independent looked into this fiasco ???
My goodness . . . It’s out of service?
Has this rust bucket actually paid for itself yet?
a breakdown of all monies spent should be published before this council leave office so we can see the true cost and see who is making money out of this
Apparently “engineers” don’t work at weekends. IWC saving a few quid in overtime to offset the many millions wasted so far, and never mind the loss of a public service.
Elections soon, dear voters.
Glad this happened now, so it can remind us all before the elections who we must not vote for. Plus watch out for the new party with ex council leader Bacon who in 2016 stated
this would be more efficient than the current chain ferry!!!!
Apperently “engineers” don’t work at weekends. IW Council saving a few quid on overtime to offset the many millions wasted on FB6.
Elections soon …
Apologies for the duplication – the original disappeared from IE site for unaccountable reason.
So IWC pay for launch and loose revenue from vehicles at tax payers exp , engineers do have emergency call out. In past IWC had its own maintenance team but to spend and cost tax payers more they made them redundant. Everything the IWC do cost us more as we pay to line the pockets of private company CEOs, Amey, Island Roads , Education Academies, Housing Ass , Enterprise car hire, such better and better value when in house
it is outsourced because…
the council do not have to have those staff on the payroll, using taxpayer money for salaries/income tax pensions, however, they then pay extra to bring in people to do the work.
this makes the books look lighter from a staffing point of view – not much else and justifies the “we are keeping council staff as low as possible” mantra.
The external procurement model to privatised contractors has had it’s day. Maybe now we’re ready to take back control of our essential services?
What a heap wants scrapping, complete joke.
Would be easier to report when running out of service more time than running.
Hopefully some one will realise it’s a waste of space & get it replaced at the council’s expense, not us the council tax payers!
Lost for words this time. Literally.
Burn it and build a bridge
Agree, and one northbound too