The Isle of Wight Council has issued a much-anticipated update on the non-existent floating bridge.
Reports of analysis of hydraulic and other fluids and a further hydraulic ram inspection are now expected to take place for a week starting tomorrow (Monday).
Since works to establish the issues started on 10 August, inspections by engineers of the main equipment (pumps, motors and valve blocks) have taken place.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said
“We apologise for the continued delays and disruption to the service. It is important that the work to identify the root cause of the issues with the hydraulic system is as thorough as possible and this work has taken longer than anticipated.
“Once the full reports are received from the engineers, we can plan to resolve the issues, establish the time it will take to complete the works and to resume the service.”
Councillor Karl Love and Deputy Mayor for East Cowes told Isle of Wight Radio:
'My constituents and our island people are totally fed up with the empty promises made by this administration in resolving the isssues connected with this Floating Bridge. We are informed that we have to wait longer yet again until the engineers report has been received. It’s starting to look like the predictions of some, of a significant length of service suspension, is correct.
'We have school children returning in the next weeks and no sign of a solution. Some people find it very difficult to travel on board the replacement launches which cannot be accsessed by many people with reduced mobility. 2 years ago I suggested that we purchased our own IWC motor launch which would be fully accessible to act as a replacement in times of Floating Bridge failure or when it was taken out of service. We could train existing staff to use it. This fell on deaf ears and today the costs to tax payers keep mounting.
'For all our sakes including IWC we must draw this matter to a close.
'I can see no other option but to order a replacement Bridge based on the designs of Floating Bridge 5, a proven vessel which worked well, had two engines and virtually never broke down. We could of course make any replacement Floating Bridge 7 look Visually attractive for it to be Photogenic and be a tourist attraction whist maintaining its design specification of floating bridge 5 but modernised and using green technology.
'We need to be constructive and progressive and this is what what together we can achieve. To this end we need to formulate solutions and together with others we are working on this. [SIC]'
The launch service for foot passengers will continue to operate from 0500 - 2300hrs (0630-2300hrs Sundays).
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