Transport / Bookings reminder made as council looks to stop empty ferry sailings
SHETLAND’s inter-island ferries will no longer travel if no passenger or vehicle bookings have been made before the cut-off time of 30 minutes before departure.
It is hoped that this will reduce fuel consumption and emissions, while giving crews more time to carry out duties onboard the vessels.
Shetland Islands Council is reminding people to book before they travel.
The inter-island ferries are currently running to a reduced timetable in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with bookings required on all sailings.
There was something of a grace period regarding mandatory bookings after the new timetables were brought in for those who tended not to book.
Monitoring of ferry usage since the timetables were introduced in early April shows that there were times, however, where sailings carried no passengers or vehicles. This was particularly evident at weekends.
The council said this suggests the ‘stay at home’ public health message is being adhered to.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -
- Remove non-local ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
