An engineering support contractor has minimised downtime for the troubled Cowes Floating Bridge over the past 8 months… but at a £38,000 cost to council taxpayers.
The specialist supplier, who has not been named, has been engaged by the Isle of Wight Council to provide engineering support on the ferry, which has been plagued by problems since it was introduced in 2017.
The Council says the work of the contractor has both prevented and minimised service downtime through the reviews they carried out and the actions implemented afterwards. These independent inspections are part of a £38,000 contract.
Planned essential maintenance work took place last Thursday, ahead of Cowes Week, to replace and upgrade parts on a hydraulic ram, which operates the prow. They have been areas where some of the most reoccurring problems emerge.
Now, the Council say the business who gained the contract — after a number were approached but only 1 quote obtained — has improved the preventative maintenance schedules and implemented beneficial changes to the vessels systems.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said:
“As part of increasing the resilience and to ensure continued operation after all of the current hydraulic issues have been resolved, a requirement to have an independent audit of the maintenance of the vessel has been identified.”
The work of the contractors included an initial review of all planned maintenance schedules, as well as weekly, but moving to fortnightly, reviews of maintenance checks and inspections of vessel systems. The contractors have also arranged contracts between the council and new, more local sub-contractors, who are now familiarised with the relevant aspects of the vessel.
No announcements of planned maintenance to the Floating Bridge have yet been made for August.
When is this money drain going to stop? Dead horse and flogging comes to mind. Absolute disgrace
The never ending story is actually becoming a never ending story.
What more costs and for what is this piece of junk metal going to cost US the council tax payers?
Will it ever make a profit?
Or will it ever help businessrs affected by its appalling performance ever make a profit – at least, those which have managed to survive notwithstanding its complete inadequacy as a public service.
You cannot be serious …..
£38-000 of our money wasted !!!!!
Along with the fortune spent on the biggest embarrassment on the island…
We can surely expect another rise in our council tax to carry on paying for this heap of junk!!!!!
Their pension pot ,and probably ( certainly)more cuts in service’s!!!!!!!!
There comes a point when you cannot keep throwing good money at bad choices.
The specialist supplier who has not been named….mmmmm.
Just so that you know–it wasn’t me; I would have charged £19,00 !!!
We on the Island is being robbed via this heap of junk. When is enough, enough?
Just more of the same from the council. Doesn’t matter who is running it, the incompetence just continues. If they actually had any guts at all they would announce the scrapping of this pathetic joke of a bridge but it will never happen as they all feed from the same trough.
I think the fact that only one contractor was prepared to give a quote for the job says it all.
Cheap at the price I would say if it’s actually helped. The real waste of money is way upstream of this.