Community voice and transparency

Respondents and event participants were asked about ways of engaging with communities and stakeholders that would benefit decision making on ferry services, including vessels and ports projects.

One of the most frequently raised points was that, although there have already been many surveys and consultations, those who make decisions about ferry services do not appear to be listening to the communities that use them, and that community requests and suggestions have not been acted upon. There was an associated view that those making decisions do not understand, or are too far removed from, the problems of living with unreliable ferry services. To rectify this, it was argued that some operator senior posts, including board members, should be island based, and that island communities should have their own representatives on operators’ boards. The need for greater accountability was also highlighted with suggestions including appointment of an independent commissioner.

Going forward it was argued that further engagement must be meaningful, with a transparent process for engaging with all the communities served by the ferry infrastructure, and clear lines of communication with local communities and stakeholders. The most frequent suggestion was that there should be more direct, face-to-face communication with members of the community, in the form of public meetings, workshops and drop-in sessions. Some users suggested that community engagement could be achieved by working through existing groups, including Community Councils, Local Ferry Committees, and the Ferries Community Board, in the CHFS area.

The importance of acknowledging suggestions from consultees and of follow-up communication to explain how the decisions are being/have been made were seen as important; both providing greater transparency in relation to operational matters and allowing consultees to understand how their feedback was considered and addressed.