Bell Island Ferry Users Committee
Press Release
May 16, 2004
TOPIC: FERRY FLEET IN SHAMBLES
CRISIS DEVELOPING
Four ferries beached (at dockyards) this weekend and five to go.
The crippled and aged Provincial ferry fleet is a worsening state of
disrepair and Provincial ferry services are in a state of chaos this
weekend.
It was inevitable that a 15 year freeze on ferry construction would lead
to a disabled, unsafe and inadequate fleet and that day has arrived.
As we speak, close to 50% of the Provincial fleet (average age over 30
years) has been withdrawn to dockyards for repairs. In their wake, ferry
connected communities such as Bell Island, Fogo Island struggle with
hardships, inconveniences and the decimation of their economies. With peak
seasonal workforces commuting, fish plants in full production and the
emergence of summer tourism it is nothing short of disgraceful the level of
decay the ferry fleet has been allowed to sink to.
Disabled fleet overview: (May 16)
- Hamilton Sound- 38 yrs (Swing) –Withdrawn from Bell Island today to
Fogo –Temp licence
- Earl Winsor-33 yrs (Fogo Island)-Enroute today to dockyard- Withdrawn
from Fogo with a leak
- Green Bay Transport-38 yrs- (St. Brendan’s)-At dockyard for refit
/repairs
- Beaumont Hamel-20 yrs (Bell Island)-At dockyard for 6-week
refit/repairs
- Hull 100- (Swing)-20 yrs –At dockyard for past 3 years (Will it ever
sail/)
- Island Joiner-32 yrs (Long Island) –Withdrawn today and sent to St.
Brendan’s
- Sound of Islay-37 yrs- (Swing) –Pulled from St. Brendan’s today
and sent to Fogo Island
- Inch Arran- 42 years- Little Bay Islands- Switched today - shared
service, Long Island
-ON DOCK TODAY
The fleet capacity of rust bucket ferries has reached such a sorry state
that if another vessel broke down today there is no replacement available
and a community will be cut off from the mainland.
This situation is a circus and a comedy of errors but it is not a
laughing matter for the communities affected.
Impacts to island communities include:
1.BELL ISLAND-Beaumont Hamel has been out of service on Bell Island for 4
months. Replacement Hamilton Sound was out of service a month due to a
strike, a number of days due to inability to operate and then was pulled by
Coast Guard for 5 days for 32 safety violations. The replacement Hamilton
Sound is now withdrawn to Fogo Island leaving Bell Island with one ferry and
frustration, hardship and long line-ups prevail and economic damage piles
up.
2. FOGO ISLAND/CHANGE ISLANDS: - Main 60 car ferry has now been withdrawn
from service due to a leak after just coming off a 3-month refit. Hamilton
Sound and Sound of Islay has been pulled from other services on an emergency
basis and sent to Fogo Island. Fish exports by truck are being negatively
impacted.
3. ST. BRENDAN’S, LONG ISLAND AND LITTLE BAY ISLANDS SERVICES- All
these services are now forced to operate with smaller vessels or shared
vessels.
A TIME FOR ACTION:
Millions are being wasted yearly in refits and repairs as a band-aid
treatments and futile efforts to keep these aged vessels afloat and safe,
not to mention to sustain schedules to allow the economies of ferry
connected towns to survive.
The PC Opposition for years called for a new fleet replacement policy and
entrenched this commitment in their 2003 Election Blue Policy Book, joining
pleas from the Auditor General, the Federation of Municipalities and user
groups.
In mid 2003, the Liberal Government called proposals for a 28-car
replacement ferry for the 38-year-old Hamilton Sound. The Government changed
hands during the Proposal review period and since then the plans for new
ferry replacement have not been addressed.
As well planning and scheduling refits for several vessels on the eve of
the peak tourism season is not sound management and today with 4 vessels on
dock a crisis has developed and communities and island economies are
suffering.
One of the vessels still operating is the 38 year old Hamilton Sound
which had been pulled in early May for 5 days by the Coast Guard for 32
safety violations and is now pressed into service with a temporary licence
and overdue for a refit (or should we say retirement). This is playing
Russian roulette with people’s safety.
ACTION PLAN: (To alleviate the crisis)
1. REPAIR PROMPTLY THE 4 VESSELS ON DOCK:
Government must immediately instruct the dockyards to take whatever
expeditious means they have at their disposal to complete the refits of the
4 ferries on dock so that ferry schedules and services can be restored to
some normality and the economies of the affected towns spared further damage
2. APPROVE IN 2004 A LONG AWAITED- (AFTER A 15 YEAR FREEZE) NEW FERRY
VESSEL CONSTRUCTION REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.
The first priority should be the replacement of the 38-year-old swing
ferry Hamilton Sound with a 28 –car ferry capable of serving as a
replacement back-up for Fogo Island with its heavy tractor trailer traffic,
Bell Island with its 225,000 vehicles per year traffic volumes and other
services as needed.
For Further information:
Ed Kent –Consultant-576-4216 edkent@roadrunner.nf.net
David Brazil- Chairperson-576-2996
Mayor Gary Gosine)Vice Chairperson -488-3168/749-9222
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