Dedicated crossings for school children on Strangford ferry

Dedicated crossings for school children on Strangford ferry

26 August 2020

DEDICATED sailings for school children are to be introduced on the Strangford ferry service from next week.

The Department for Infrastructure will provide a foot passenger only service from either side of the waterway from next Tuesday.

Students will cross from Portaferry at 8.10am and from Strangford at 4pm, with the sailings co-ordinated with Translink to ensure that there are buses to ferry children to and from school.

Confirmation of the new service — which requires all passengers to wear face masks — comes after a number of children were refused permission to board the ferry on Monday morning from the Portaferry side.

Only 33 foot passengers were permitted on the sailing due to coronavirus restrictions which forced children to wait for the vessel to return, sparking criticism from Strangford MLA Kellie Armstrong and local councillor Joe Boyle.

Mrs Armstrong, who for a number of weeks has highlighted the issue of limited passenger numbers and how students travelling on the ferry would be accommodated, has raised her concerns with Stormont education minister Peter Weir.

She said that her fears were confirmed on Monday when only 33 foot passengers were permitted per sailing which resulted in some students having to miss two subsequent sailings before they could cross the lough, missing buses to Downpatrick.

Mrs Armstrong said she was also concerned that children had to wait for up to one hour with little access to shelter, before yesterday’s storm force conditions.

“Schools return at the end of August every year and social distancing has been in place for months.

“Anyone with any transport planning ability would have ensured there was a solution, recognising the number needing to cross on the ferry as foot passengers and enabling students to travel safely,” she said ahead of yesterday’s confirmation about the new passenger service.

“I contacted the Minister for Infrastructure who confirmed weeks ago that her department was waiting on education officials to clarify how many students needed to cross and sailing times.”

In a letter to Mr Weir, the Strangford MLA suggested that officials “failed to meet the start of school deadline” and as a result students were not being provided with appropriate home to school transport.

Mrs Armstrong said that in the past if the ferry could not be used, students were bused around the peninsula and asked why this option was not considered.

Cllr Boyle said that what happened on Monday morning impacted on students who attend schools in Downpatrick and Ballynahinch.

“I simply cannot believe that as we entered the last week in August with Minister Weir trumpeting the importance of a return to school that there was little or no advanced preparation or thought for children and parents within the Ards peninsula. The way they have been treated is diabolical,” he declared.

Cllr Boyle said parents have raised their concerns with him, highlighting what their children experienced at the start of the new school term by having to wait to use the ferry.

He also revealed that he became increasingly concerned when he highlighted the issue on social media and was told how children were being treated.

Cllr Boyle said problems were compounded with the closure of the main Strangford to Downpatrick road to allow a number of trees to be pruned to allow double decker buses to use the route in future.

“My main concern is that there was no prior notice in relation to the number of children who could board the ferry. Parents also were not told,” he continued.

Cllr Boyle also commended two St Patrick’s Grammar School students who were waiting for the ferry on Monday but stood back to allow two elderly people to board the vessel.

“Once they had boarded, the students were not allowed on as there were 33 foot passengers. They were the only two left at the quayside before being joined by other passengers waiting to cross on the next sailing. Those in authority need to address this issue immediately,” he added.

Announcing that the new dedicated service for foot passengers starts from next week, the Department for Infrastructure has confirmed that an off-schedule service will operate on weekdays at 7.30am, 9am, 4pm and 5pm.