After an unprecedented driver shaft failure this July, Sandbanks chain ferry has been put out of service. After three months of maintenance, the ferry has passed the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) safety inspection and safely returned home early on the Monday’s morning. The ferry is announced to be officially relaunched with full service on Thursday, 31st October, 2019.
This reopening should be earlier.
Richard Poora, a Poole resident
Talking about the return after unexpected breakdown which has put ferry out of action, Richard Poora, 70, a former car garage’s administrator in Poole said: “This reopening should be earlier. It’s really disappointed that they don’t have any spare parts of machine to replace when they broke down. This so long closure has mainly affected tourists, prevent them going to some popular destination like Swanage or Studland.”
Instead of using the ferry, people have an unpopular alternative option of 25 miles (40 km) road way to approach Swanage. This has lead to various difficulties not only for tourists but also for people living in this area.
This has frozen the activities of business in Swanage for quite a long time
Cathy Goodman, a Poole resident
“Because this is the most direct and convenient way, service suspension in almost three months has caused terrible traffic jam. We are waiting for this reopening as soon as possible”, Ahys Ratcliff, 20, a production assistant living in Poole shared.
Cathy Goodman, 50, working at a glass store in Poole said: “This has frozen the activities of business in Swanage for quite a long time.”
The decreasing number of tourists heading to Swanage resulted in a negative development for regional business as well as nosediving fall in tourism income.
Now the number has fallen by 50 to 70 percent
A bus diver of the Breezer 40 Bus to Swanage
A bus driver of the Breezer 40 Bus to Swanage shared that: “In the summer, I used to have a full bus with 80-90 people. Now the number has fallen by 50 to 70 percent. Because the last trip back to Poole is at around 7 pm, if you go there after 5:30 pm, you will be stuck in the middle of nowhere.”
Fortunately, repairs to the vessel, the Bramble Bush Bay have been completed and the ferry is told to be ready in use officially in the last day of this month with double discount on all tickets booked prior to November 2019. The service will start at 7 am from Sandbanks with three crossings per hours in each direction as usual until 11:10 pm from Studland.
