Gladys Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 It's annoying for students as for most of us it's a trek to travel to Liverpool! But now having to travel to HEYSHAM, jeeez! We're not made out of money!! I've resorted to flying home at Xmas Not a comment to get us all on your side! I was a student at Leicester and that was a trek, involving several trains (if memory serves, a local train to Nuneaton, change for the train to Preston and then change again for the train to Lancaster) and a bus ride from Lancaster station to Heysham, often at very inconvenient (i.e. long wait) times. Get a grip girl, patchworking your way across Britain is part of being a student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsdad Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 The Petition now stands at over 450, which bearing in mind the general apathy of the Island population is incredible. However I think the petition is only one way to raise this issue and we have to make the politicians understand the concerns. The IOMSP is not running a service for the IOM - the IOMSP is a business and has changed the timetable for (their) sound business reasons - roughly same revenue with only one ship to run, reduced costs = increased profit. Contact your MHK and make them listen to your concerns. Contact the Department of Transport (Yvonne.Williams@gov.im) David Anderson is Minister for Transport. The loss of day trips/football issues is a little trivial and is not key in this matter. I fully understand people on this forum saying they don't use IOMSP so why sign but consider this. We currently only have one vessel sailing between here and UK bringing in all our road traffic. If that boat has a mechanical problem or worse for more than say three or four days then we will quickly have the situation where our fresh food supplies will run out. That effects everybody not just the people who sail on the IOMSP. People will say that the Seacat isn't a freight vessel - but you could at least use it for such in an emergency. We now have all our eggs in one basket. The service that has often been called an "Island Lifeline" is in fact running on a shoestring and this is as a direct result of our Government's action (in terms of setting up the monopolistic "user agreement") and in action (in allowing the IOMSP to change hands and reduce service without substantial challenge) With the current situation our "Lifeline" is in the hands of an Australian Bank who (rightly) are looking at profit/investment returns rather than service. They have a monoply which is sponsored by our State and are able to change their timetable/prices as and when they feel like. The DoT will tell you they have to report to them but if the DoT is happy for the current changes to go through unhindered, and has done nothing about the "fuel surcharge" to prices and the proposed increase in amendements to £8 pp (from £5) then they have no wish to control the IOMSP or no teeth to do so. It longt overdue that the Manx people reclaimed their Steam Packet and made it work for the good of the Manx peopl and their economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahc Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 If it got to that Mezeron could deliver our food. Or we could get it from the plane. Or we could eat home grown stuff. I know it's a pisser for some people but I am not affected by not being able to go to Liverpool and back in a day on a boat and no bluster will convince me to sign a petition - I would be a hypocrite in doing so. I haven't done anything else to help this service, by oh I don't know, using it or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsdad Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Mezeron doesn't have the capacity to bring our supplies in - they run bulk carriers etc not ferries. You could fly food in but the cost would be extortionate. We do produce local food but both Tesco & M&S import almost everything so obviously we don't produce enough. Bear in mind also our exports - Manx meat and dairy foods are exported in great quantities and disruption would damage our economy. No one is forcing anyone to sign a petition. If you don't need the ferry then great. The day trips to Liverpool is not important. The big picture is our "Island Lifeline" is a monoply in the hands of people who, with the best will in the world, care more about profit than service. The reduction in this winter's service is the thin end of the wedge. The Australians who own the IOMSP know that most profit is from frieght - so if passenger numbers don't justify twice daily sailing to Heysham why not cut down to one, or every other day! Our sea link to the UK is too essential to Island life to be : a) A monoply - never good for service or consummers (look at what has happened to phone bills now that C&W are allowed to operate b) Run purely for profit Its time our Govt stopped hiding behind the user agreement and started to protect us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltire Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Mezeron doesn't have the capacity to bring our supplies in - they run bulk carriers etc not ferries.You could fly food in but the cost would be extortionate. We do produce local food but both Tesco & M&S import almost everything so obviously we don't produce enough. Bear in mind also our exports - Manx meat and dairy foods are exported in great quantities and disruption would damage our economy. No one is forcing anyone to sign a petition. If you don't need the ferry then great. The reduction in this winter's service is the thin end of the wedge. The Australians who own the IOMSP know that most profit is from frieght - so if passenger numbers don't justify twice daily sailing to Heysham why not cut down to one, or every other day! Our sea link to the UK is too essential to Island life to be : a) A monoply - never good for service or consummers (look at what has happened to phone bills now that C&W are allowed to operate b) Run purely for profit Its time our Govt stopped hiding behind the user agreement and started to protect us. Excellent post well put. To those that say it doesn't affect them directly. Even if you don't use a ferry to get off the island for the next 10 years, say the ferry service becomes alot less frequent. Eventually this could affect companies decisions to come to / stay on the island. It could affect individuals decisions whether to stay and work on the island. It all has a knock on effect on the islands local economy. All transport links to the island are vital. You can't just presume that in the absence of ferries you can rely on links for everything by air. And by all means air travel to and from the island isn't 100% reliable either. As the above poster mentioned, goods by air is vastly more expensive than sea. All too easy to take a service for granted until it is no longer there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 I've made the point many times - just what did the Aussies buy for £200M if it wasn't a monopoly to exploit users - the assets were worth at most £40M (probably less as there is supposed to be an injection of capital in 2 or 3 yrs time) - The Shetlanders + Orcadians have the better idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsdad Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 The DoT makes the point under the "User Agreement" they have to invest £18 m in a new boat by 2012 - some hope. As Venture Capitalists they will have made all their money by then and they'll "cut and run". All the land based assets of IOMSP (offices etc) have been sold, so the only fixed asset is the Ben-my-Chree. They'll sell her and lease back to to allow them to continue to make profits - if and when they decide to exit the market they can do so with out and problem whatsoever. THe Government needs to take action now to secure the future of our sea link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusAurelius Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Signed I have also put it on one of the Everton forums and a few have signed off there.Perhaps if there are any Liverpool , Man U supporters who go on RAWK or Redissue , they could get it on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsdad Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Its been circulated to the Liverpool Supporters on the Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyboarder Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Soccer. Great. I can think of no better reason not to sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeyconcrete Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 The DoT makes the point under the "User Agreement" I don't know much about the agreement. Who actually drafted the notorious User Agreement. The way its thrown around sounds as if it metamorphosed from a blank piece of paper with no one person in Government responsible for it. Was the original agreement debated or discussed in Tynwald or is it "commercially" confidential as many cockups are nowadays. Is it something you can download? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsdad Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 I thought we'd been over this before. The football supporters/day trippers are the ones most directly effected by the timetable but this is just a symptom of the bigger issue i.e. A monoply that isn't serving the Island the way it should. Just look at TT this year. The Centenary, massive advertising for two years before hand. Lots and lots of advance bookings - yet somehow it still took the IOMSP by surprize. Re-jigged booking, cancellations, changes of port etc; you know the story. Why? - because this essential service is being run on a shoestring (to maximise profit), with no spare capacity or contingency Why ? - because they can. With no competition the IOMSP can do what they like, its "take it or leave it", you want to travel by sea then its on our terms and our prices - hardly the stuff of "Freedom to Flourish"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Is it something you can download? NO - is openness a common feature of Manx Government? - just think of other forced inquiries Mount Murray, MEA ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusAurelius Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Is it something you can download? NO - is openness a common feature of Manx Government? - just think of other forced inquiries Mount Murray, MEA ... Now now Frances lets not be too harsh , its fair to say that openess is not a feature of any government , let alone just the Manx Government What arrangements do the Orkneys & Shetland Isles have ? The Steam Packet prices are scandalous.I know this might not be too popular with some but the ferry is a lifeline for this island ( Goods , Travel , Tourism etc.. ) and it must be treated as a public service not a profit making venture.The government must take control of the Steam Packet and if taxes need to be generated so be it. I'm all for private ownership of companies , but only when that drives a better standard.If the Steam Packet was any good , I would like to think that most of us wouldn't mind paying the high prices as much.Everytime the Steam Packet changes hands , the new owners increase prices in order that the service can be improved , but that never happens , it only gets worse !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insomniac Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 However I think the petition is only one way to raise this issue and we have to make the politicians understand the concerns. The IOMSP is not running a service for the IOM - the IOMSP is a business and has changed the timetable for (their) sound business reasons - roughly same revenue with only one ship to run, reduced costs = increased profit. Contact your MHK and make them listen to your concerns. Contact the Department of Transport (Yvonne.Williams@gov.im) David Anderson is Minister for Transport. Total waste of time! The User Agreement sets out the minimum level of service and the cut in service meets or exceeds that minimum level so it is not a political issue other than for the odd voice of dissent.There is a famous saying Use it or loose it and steam packet figures say the day return wasn't being used. If everyone is so bothered by the changes are you all going to arrange to meet up in the sea terminal departure lounge to demonstrate your annoyance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.