THE operators of the Gourock to Kilcreggan ferry have been reported to the procurator fiscal over health and safety concerns.

Ferry company Clydelink is currently in charge of the publicly-funded service and has been reported to the fiscal by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The complaint refers to previous events in 2016-17 but the service continues to be plagued with problems.

It was cancelled for the fourteenth day in a row yesterday.

A Crown Office spokesman told the Telegraph: “The procurator fiscal has received a report concerning Clydelink in connection with alleged offences between December 2016 and November 2017.

“The report is under the consideration of the Crown’s health and safety division.”

The Telegraph contacted Clydelink for a comment but received no response.

Clydelink has been in charge of the route for six years but lost the contract last month.

Greenock-based Clyde Marine was recently awarded a new £325,000 12-month deal by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) amid growing discontent about the quality of the current service.

The company will take over in July.

The new deal is £77,000 more expensive year-on-year.
Clyde Marine had previously run the crossing for more than 30 years before a contract was awarded to Clydelink in 2012.

Calls have been made for an immediate changeover following months of cancellations and faults with Clydelink’s Island Princess vessel, pictured.

West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene, inset, who is from Greenock, said: “The status quo simply is not good enough and something must be done straight away.

“This is a lifeline service for people and the effect of this ferry service being offline so much has been detrimental to students, workers and those attending medical appointments.

“It’s been a shocking episode.

“I appreciate that a new operator is finally due to takeover in the summer of 2018, but that is still some months away and a solution needs to be in place much sooner.”