Tamar Crossings has confirmed that a ferry will leave each side of the river around every fifteen minutes, but only two services will run rather than its usual three. The company says this is due to legal limitations on work hours for specially trained safety roles.
Tamar Crossings say the safe operation of each ferry requires a specific number of crew members within these specially trained roles, and cannot be covered by just any member of staff. They add that when a staff member is unexpectedly unavailable, they may no longer have the required crew to operate that ferry safely.
They say they are using additional hours from other suitably trained members wherever possible. However, due to legal limits on the number of hours each person can work, they must carefully balance the additional cover across the week and prioritise where it will have the greatest benefit.
Tamar Crossings say they know a reduced service, especially for those who rely on the ferry everyday, is frustrating. They add it is not a decision they take lightly. The company will review their staffing position and say they will return to a three-ferry service once they have the safety critical crew available to operate it.
A spokesperson for Tamar Crossings said: “This is not a decision we take lightly, nor is it simply a matter of putting another member of staff to work on a ferry at short notice.
“We will continue to review our staffing position and service levels and will return to a three-ferry service as soon as we have the safety critical crew available to operate it.
“Our crews are working hard to provide the safest and best service possible within the circumstances, and we ask that customers please treat them with patience and respect.
“Thank you to everyone who has been understanding while we manage this temporary situation.
“We will continue to provide updates as soon as we have confirmed information to share: tamarcrossings.org.uk"
Tamar Crossing Reduces Ferry Service Over Legal Work Hour Limits