Columnist Ruth Wishart writes about the disquiet among Kilcreggan's ferry users at the latest disruption to their service.

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When is a ferry service not a service? When it’s run by Clydelink, who are contracted to provide a lifeline transport option between Kilcreggan and Gourock.

Instead it’s turned into what the users might describe as a comedy of errors – except that not knowing whether or how you can get to work on time lacks any kind of humour.

What might give you a laugh however is their website page, which intones the following ‘About Us’: “Utilising the latest high technology vessels, custom built for Clydelink, we plan to offer reliable ferry transport every day. Our all weather vessels are designed to our exacting specifications to ensure that your safety and comfort are paramount.”

In fact the benighted craft on this route has been regularly taken out of service all summer because of myriad problems ranging from safety concerns and mechanical failures to a lack of sufficient appropriately certificated staff.

Recently its regulatory authority only permitted it to run with a dozen people on board – which is a fat lot of use at peak times when it might be expected to take 50.

At the time of writing the ‘service’ offered is yet another 50-mile bus trip rather than a 15 minute crossing.

The gameplan these many months has been for Transport Scotland to come to the aid of the highly disgruntled party and take over the route, but because the move is packaged up with the contract for the Dunoon ferry, all kinds of delays have ensued.

Meanwhile the community is beyond tether end. Either the Transport Minister has to find a way of de-coupling the proposed deal, or, in the interim, cite serial breaches of the current contract, cancel it, and give it to someone who can offer a reliable alternative.