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Cross Forth hovercraft - 16,000 passengers in first week |
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Monday, 23 July 2007 |
More than 16,000 passengers have used the cross-Forth hovercraft in its first week in operation, according to figures released by operator Stagecoach today.
It reports that 16,116 passengers travelled on the Kirkcaldy to Portobello hovercraft link between Monday 16 July and Saturday 21 July, on a total of 148 trips.
The numbers using the service are expected to increase this week due to the closure of the Forth rail bridge, and more than 100 journeys were booked in the first two hours of commuter priority phone line - 0797 689 1529 - being open today.
Robert Andrew, regional managing director of Stagecoach Scotland, said: “We have been absolutely delighted with the popularity of Forthfast in the first week of the trial and we are expecting another busy week with the closure of the Forth Bridge to rail services.
“Our new priority booking hotline for commuters has been working well and the number of people using the hovercraft to get to work, which is a key market for the service, has more than doubled from the first week of operation.
“We have also been very impressed with the performance of the craft and the early signs about the future potential of a cross-Forth public transport link have been extremely positive.”
The crossing time, which was scheduled at 20 minutes, has averaged 18 minutes on the route.
The £300,000 two-week trial is being undertaken by Stagecoach, and is part-funded by SEStran (the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership). It will run until Saturday 28 July.
A total of 22 services a day – 11 in each direction - operate on the route, with convenient peak-time services and integrated bus links to accommodate commuters looking to avoid congestion on the Forth Road Bridge.
Stagecoach estimates that running a two-craft operation would cost around £2m a year. Around 9,000 passengers a week - and up to 470,000 passengers a year – are estimated would use the service. While the service would require initial public investment, Stagecoach believes that within a few years passenger volumes could grow to make it commercially sustainable.
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