Mezeron & Steam Packet Master Thread

[Alias]

Let's be honest - it's at the worst possible time for the public. How many ministers are going to allow a risky face-off with the steam packet right before an election?

[manshimajin]

Let's be honest - it's at the worst possible time for the public. How many ministers are going to allow a risky face-off with the steam packet right before an election?

A face off between the IOMSPC and another significant business in shipping and in the registration of ships. The politicians may be feeling like running for cover on this and hoping the businesses will sort it out themselves. I assume that the appropriate authorities would have had to give the go-ahead to Dohle to compete (i.e by agreeing to its using Douglas Harbour with its new ships).

Edited November 2, 2010 by manshimajin

[woolley]

Conjecture is worthless at this point, so as one who has to use the Racket to have my holidays et'c, I will await with much trepidation to see not only what the Rackets response is but what our trusted Buffoons answer will be.

The idea of Gov't taking over is ludicrous in the extreme, as they have yet to acknowledge that w even have any problems at all, and in many other areas!

Tourists are discouraged from coming here by high prices in every aspect, not just travel.

The channel Islands Abrogated and are thriving by all reports.

A fool and his aunty can go on the net and make these comparison's for themselves, Why then can not our egotistical dumbells do the same?

Simple Answer-Their Civil Service Masters Dont Want their own particular Caviar train derailed.

Fantasy Island has to cut it's cloth accordingly, but as yet is showing no signs of doing so.

Bugger me "Spuds and Herring again mam"

Oh! "Sorry Son No" we have not even got that option.

If all this is actually happening? Why are not we all equally sharing the pain.

Not quite sure how it got in here but your assertion "The channel Islands Abrogated and are thriving by all reports" is very wide of the mark. Both Jersey and Guernsey are in hard times financially and their status is exactly the same as ours - they are Crown Dependencies. They have not "abrogated" anything.

 

As for the SPCo it looks like Macquarrie have bought a £200 million pig in a poke and they aren't going to like it. Woodward was making noises this evening as if he was going to demand that the Govt vary the user agreement to extend SPCo exclusivity beyond the linkspan. Money for lawyers perhaps but the UA is unambiguous and I don't see how it can be made to mean something that it does not say. Most likely outcome? Macquarrie will bail out at a huge loss - they are unwinding positions in lots of their investments to rein in borrowings and this is just one more.

Edited November 2, 2010 by woolley

[taz8130]

IOMSPC ? - Screw 'em !!!

 

For too long they have treated the service as a cash cow. Extracting the maximum they feel they can feasibly get away with from both freight and passenger customers.

 

It is they that have created a business environment of high prices, poor customer relations and substandard fleet, which was ripe for a serious competitor to challenge their monopoly, with a cheaper and from the sounds of it, a more approachable and friendly working environment for both service provider, staff & customers.

 

As expected, Woodward blames everyone but SP Co for the situation. His recent interview on Granada tv reminded me of the proverbial swan - trying to look calm on the surface, while paddling like shite underneath.

 

Wake up Woodward - you've neglected the needs and treated with disrespect the very people that provide SP with with it's healthy income.

 

 

My personal opinion on the situation is that the beginning of the end of the SP Co as the main service provider has begun. My hope for the future is that Mezeron learn from the mistakes of SP.

[theman]

Let's be honest - it's at the worst possible time for the public. How many ministers are going to allow a risky face-off with the steam packet right before an election?

 

a election?

please tell the same clowns are not still going to be voted in?

[theman]

Let's be honest - it's at the worst possible time for the public. How many ministers are going to allow a risky face-off with the steam packet right before an election?

 

a election?

please tell the same clowns are not still going to be voted in?

[cheeky boy]

IOMSPC ? - Screw 'em !!!

 

For too long they have treated the service as a cash cow. Extracting the maximum they feel they can feasibly get away with from both freight and passenger customers.

 

It is they that have created a business environment of high prices, poor customer relations and substandard fleet, which was ripe for a serious competitor to challenge their monopoly, with a cheaper and from the sounds of it, a more approachable and friendly working environment for both service provider, staff & customers.

 

 

 

I agree, but what's to stop Mezeron doing the same should they take over the SPC ?

 

Maybe a solution would be for the government not to have a UA, but to charge for the use of the linkspans and hand that money back to whichever operator in the form of a passenger subsidy. That would leave the business open to competition but still promote a passenger service. Bearing in mind that we still have a viable tourist industry which needs to be nurtured

[When Skies Are Grey]

Some of the comments on this thread are amazing - nonsense about monorails, insulting remarks about Mark Woodward which really are offensive and utterly childish...

 

You can say what you like about my posts....but dont you EVER diss the monorails!!

[Fossils]

Should we send a call for help to Caledonian MacBrayne?

 

SOS

[Lost Login]

Should we send a call for help to Caledonian MacBrayne?

 

SOS

I think they would bankrupt the IoM. Neary £95 million in government subsidies fr the year!

[jimbms]

Should we send a call for help to Caledonian MacBrayne?

SOS

Why not, they have been running numerous ferry services to the Scottish isle for a good number of years, the Jockanese moan about them but the are far better than the bunch of 3 legged Dingo's we have.

[Silentbob]

 

I agree with most of the above. Anyone who gives the matter any thought at all should realise that what Mark Woodward has said is absolutely correct. Some of the comments on this thread are amazing - nonsense about monorails, insulting remarks about Mark Woodward which really are offensive and utterly childish...

 

 

I remember large seated areas with comfy cushioned seats where they would turn the lights off on night crossings so you could really get your head down.

 

I remember free cinemas allowing you to pass the time without spending anything during the crossing.

 

I remember being able to go to Liverpool and back for 6 quid each way.

 

Nowadays the garish lights, wafting smells of booze and vinegar, kids crying etc make it impossible to just relax and pass the time. I did for some time hold Blue Riband just to get away from the melee especially on the Ben, but on the Cat it was merely a curtained off area with no buffer between us and the chav army.

 

IOMSPC's business model is wholly immorral, not only are we fleeced on booking, but then have to put up with over-priced and under quality services on board.

 

Add to that the lame engined Cats cross slightly faster than a one footed duck, and bounce about like a paper cup in anything above a force 3.

 

Add to that the Ben Magoo which seems incapable of crossing in a straight line due to its shit hull design, and oxygen tanks required to climb the myriad of staircases to get to what is little better than a holding pen.

 

The figures speak for themselves, 30+% profit on a low turnover is bank like profit, which is sort of expected.

 

Any member of the company who defends this is just as guilty as the directors and parent comany. We as the paying customers have quite frankly had enough, and no longer care if IOMSPc quite literally slips beneath the waves. Hopefully, we will then get a company who knows how to operate a company properly, that can then offer us the sort of service everyone else gets in the Irish Sea.

 

Maybe then, visitors will choose the Isle of Man again as a holiday destination as it can be reached without selling one's spleen.

 

In short - Screw Mark Woodward and his feelings, he will get nothing from me but utter contempt.

[Sean South]

Rather than all the negativity attached to the Dohle/Mezeron move, we should look at the positives:

 

1.Competition is good for businesses and for the people.

2.There are opportunities here in a few ways:

A. It gives the Government and the IOMSPCo the opportunity to tear up the UA and for the island to have choice.

B. It gives another major Worldwide company (Dohle) a base in the centre of the Irish Sea which will enable them to look at potential for other services based in the IoM thus possibly creating more jobs and income for the Island.

C. It gives the IOMSPCo the motivation it has lacked for a few years to also look at other ways of supplementing it's single income stream by looking at other possible routes in addition to it's current Manx routes.

D. It gives the Government a much needed kick in the arse to properly legislate for the future of sea transport so that they could take proper ownership of the Harbours and make it a pre condition that anyone can use the linkspans subject to a realistic fee being charged and that any such operators must build in an element of regular (Daily) passenger transport into their services as well as freight.

 

If the Government were to cave in to the SP's demands and offer a subsidy then where does that end? Do all "so called" essential services also get a subsidy? for example Shoprite and Tesco as the main suppliers of foodstuffs? Do the Brewery get one as the main suppliers of leisure facilities? Do, say, The Sefton Group get a subsidy for being the main player in the luxury accommodation market? Where does it all end? It's just bullsh1t. All businesses must stand on their own two feet. There is immense potential to make money in the Sea Transport business in the Isle of Man as the SP have proved by their 200 year existence. They are struggling now because they have been lazy and concentrating on propping up a bank rather than their core business of shipping for the past few years. Dohle/Mezeron should be applauded for their brave step in establishing a business to take on a decrepid old fossil like the Steam Packet and in such a short space of time - a couple of weeks - bringing it to it's knees. It goes to show how weak the company was if it was so reliant on two of it's clients to survive. It begs the question as to whether it should be in business at all.

[tonythetash]

I suppose Mezzeron are pretty pleased. They have gained a market share that did'nt exist before for them, thats just business. Hopefully increased friegt for them will mean taking on more staff! As for the IOMSP they have been undercut and from what I gather they have only themselves to blame for being so greedy. The 'But' means however thay they now find themselves in a situation where thier shareholders and parent companies will be asking all sorts of awkward questions, namely how will you make up the shortfall? Hmmm, 2 choices, increase fares overall or cut services, or both. Long and short is we are all going to suffer financially on the domestic side, we travel accross quite a lot and actually have a car on the other side as its cheaper, not the answer for everyone for several reasons but it works for us.

Mannanin cost over £1m just to sail it from OZ, apparently the SP were amazed at the fuel costs! Come on if you got a ferrari would you be amazed that it only did 12MPG? No you would know that already and factored it in. The refit went over budget by 40% and the original purchase cost was 000's% over the only other interested party, why? the seller was an offshoot company of McQuarie, so effectivly they sold it to themselves but just moved the debt! Who is paying for that? Oh, answered that one already!

I also believe that the SP use the User Agreement as an 'income' tool for re-establishing debt and borrowing from the banks, not sure how that works?

In closing, we are f****d

[Tempus Fugit]

the extra business for Mezeron/Dohle won't compensate for the 20 or so office staff who Dohle made redundant a while ago