Ferry disruption expected after new heavy vehicle guidance
Shetland Times
Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes now need to be secured at all times while travelling on council ferries, the SIC announced.
This comes following an investigation was launched into an incident where a concrete mixer overturned on the Unst ferry.
A car was crushed and a person treated for shock after a mixer overturned and crushed a car on the deck of the Bigga on Bluemull Sound last month.
Now, Shetland Islands Council has been told by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, that all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must be secured on the deck of vessels, irrespective of weather and tidal conditions.
Previously, the master of the vessel could apply a discretion based on the type of vehicle and the conditions on the day. Under this new direction, this discretion can no longer be applied on this route.
The SIC has been told to implement this new guidance with immediate effect.
Other inter-island ferry routes, including Fetlar, remain unaffected, and existing arrangements can continue.
Council staff are currently working to assess the implications of this change and how best to minimise the disruption to ferry services.
The effect of this new direction is that there will be some ongoing disruption to ferry services on Bluemull Sound while longer term arrangements are formulated and agreed.
In a statement the council said: “It is inevitable that this will impact on ferry timetables, with extra time needed for larger vehicles to be lashed. Lashings will also reduce available deck space for other vehicles travelling at the same time.”
Will Aldwinckle
As is usually the case with government run departments, they completely over react and have know idea of the reason for the accident with the cement mixer rolling over on the ferry.
Before the mixer was converted to be towed with a tractor, it had one or two axles at the front end, that would have been about 7’6″ wide and would have supported it from tipping over.
When a drawbar is fitted, it is to a single point in the centre, and provides no support.
So they are just wasting time and money chaining all trucks, as they are highly unlikely to tip over.