A SCOTTISH Greens candidate in an upcoming council by-election has backed plans for a ferry port in Ardrossan to be brought into public control.
Neil Wilkinson, who is running in the upcoming Arran by-election, said it was vital that the site be nationalised in order to protect locals from further disruption.
Earlier this year Peel Ports faced criticism from then first minister Humza Yousaf over a lack of investment in the facility after it became apparent that major upgrades were needed to allow CalMac’s new ferries to use the terminal.
The company took over Ardrossan Harbour when it was privatised by the UK Government in 1992.
However, calls for it to be brought into public hands have increased as locals are increasingly left unable to board ferries from the site.
The harbour’s second berth – the so-called “Irish berth" – was closed earlier this year on safety grounds.
This berth was used by a second ferry travelling to Brodick and also as a backup for the main ferry during bad weather.
Since its closure the service has frequently been diverted to Troon during bad weather, while the second ferry bypasses Ardrossan completely because it can’t use the only remaining berth.
Wilkinson said he would be calling for locals to be given free ferry travel for two years as compensation for years of poor service.
“Leaving the running of this vital piece of infrastructure to a private company which has continually under-invested in it is entirely unacceptable,” he said.
“Any politician who cares about our community should back calls for Ardrossan Harbour to be in public hands.
“As Arran’s housing officer I have spent nearly 15 years putting the rights of islanders first.
“As your Green councillor I would continue to work in your interests, and that includes pushing for Ardrossan Harbour to be nationalised.
“Along with a compensation scheme for the chaos and harm caused by an unreliable ferry service, this would go a long way to reversing the damage we’ve seen caused to our island and preventing further distress to islanders who should not have to pay the price.”
Peel Ports said they have invested more than £2 million to progress upgrades but that they were “no further forward than we were six years ago”.
Port director Jim McSporran previously claimed that dealing with six different Scottish Government transport ministers had “hindered a resolution”.
