Nearly £90,000 has been spent on ‘strategic’ spare parts for the troubled Floating Bridge.
It follows the recommendation of a government review — which branded Floating Bridge 6 as ‘potentially poorly designed’ — to always ensure the Isle of Wight Council had a stock of essential spares.
The importance of having spares and their availability was highlighted by the review team, for ‘effective future service provision’.
They said being able to identify the critical spares for the £3.2 million vessel and having them readily available at very short notice was key to minimising downtime.
Following the recommendation and having sought advice, the Isle of Wight Council has spent £87,000 in the last year purchasing the spare parts.
Since Floating Bridge 6 was brought into service in 2017 the vessel has been plagued with issues and faults which have led to the crossing being suspended on multiple occasions.
Repairs and replacement work have also been hindered when parts take a long time to arrive or are delayed, meaning the service is out for longer.
Now, a council spokesperson has said, increasing the stock of spare parts the authority holds is anticipated to minimise downtime in the event of any future related parts failures.
A key list of spares has been developed by a ‘competent, independent third-party engineer’ they said, and while the parts have been purchased they have not had to be used yet.
After income, and taking into account overall expenditure, the council lost around £2 million on the vessel last year.
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