Excellent response to Corran Ferry survey

The Highland Council is thanking visitors and the local community alike for an excellent response to a survey concerning the Corran Ferry, West Lochaber, which will help inform the future fare structure on the lifeline service between Nether Lochaber and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula at Ardgour.

The survey attracted 593 responses both online via the Council’s web site and in response to leaflets handed out on the ferry over the festive period. On top of this, 20 local businesses were contacted by phone and provided valuable data for the study report.

The survey was conducted by independent consultants AECOM, who report that the response is very good and helpful to the Council in deciding the level of future fare increases.

The Council faces having to increase the fares to bridge the gap between the income generated from fares and the cost of running the ferry to provide a 15-hour per day shuttle services across the Corran narrows and maintaining the MV Corran and the replacement ferry, MV Maid of Glencoul.

Income falls £173,000 short of the annual running costs of an estimated £1.3 million.

The current cost of a full single fare is £7.60.   For those buying a book of 30 single tickets, the fare is discounted by 71% at £2.23.  There is no charge for passengers.
The total number of vehicles using the service is 290,000 per year, involving an estimated 500,000 passengers.

Councillor Graham Phillips, Chairman of the Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee, said the findings of the survey would be reported to the committee on Thursday 6 February.

The committee would then agree a proposal for consultation with Lochaber Area Committee and the local community before a recommendation is presented to the committee at its meeting Thursday 15 May.

He said: “We are very pleased indeed with the excellent response to the survey, both from visitors and the local community.  It gives us a good understanding of the local economic  issues governing the fare structure.  The service is one of the best used in Scotland and we fully recognise the importance of the service to local people and visitors/holidaymakers  alike.

“At the same time, we have to reduce the gap between rising operating costs and the income we generated from fares.”