An engineering support contractor has minimised downtime for the troubled Cowes Floating Bridge over the past eight months… but at a £38,000 cost to council taxpayers.
All of the work and repairs done on the vessel’s troublesome hydraulics are being independently inspected as part of the £38,000 contract.
The Isle of Wight Council says the work of the contractor has both prevented and minimised service downtime through the reviews they carried out and the actions implemented afterwards.
The specialist supplier, who has not been named, has been engaged by the council to provide engineering support on the ferry, which has been plagued by problems since it was introduced in 2017.
Planned essential maintenance work took place last Thursday, ahead of Cowes Week, to replace and upgrade parts on a hydraulic ram, which operates the prow.
They have been areas where some of the most reoccurring problems emerge.
Now, the council say the business who gained the contract — after a number were approached but only one quote obtained — has improved the preventative maintenance schedules and implemented beneficial changes to the vessels systems.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said:
“As part of increasing the resilience and to ensure continued operation after all of the current hydraulic issues have been resolved, a requirement to have an independent audit of the maintenance of the vessel has been identified.”
The work of the contractors included an initial review of all planned maintenance schedules, as well as weekly, but moving to fortnightly, reviews of maintenance checks and inspections of vessel systems.
The contractors have also arranged contracts between the council and new, more local sub-contractors, who are now familiarised with the relevant aspects of the vessel.
No announcements of planned maintenance to the Floating Bridge have yet been made for August.
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