Councillor calls for more efficient service at peak times for Passage to Cobh ferry link

A FERRY service between Passage West and Cobh must be more efficient, according to a county councillor.

Cork County Council is to renew the lease of the ferry terminal at Glenbrook on Strand Road in Passage West to Doyle Shipping Group ULC trading as Cross River Ferries.

Seamus McGrath (FF) said the service needs to have two ferries operational at peak times and traffic issues on the Passage West side of the harbour need to be addressed.

“It provides a very critical service locally but I do want to take the opportunity to have it noted that there are issues with the operation of it. I have been advised by the divisional manager [of the Ballincollig-Carrigaline municipal district] that it is part of the lease that we insist on an efficient operation of that ferry,” he said.

“It has been down to one, as opposed to two at peak times, which creates difficulties. There are also serious issues in relation to traffic management and anyone in the area can see that when it is busy, particularly at the morning and evening peak times. On the R610 [in Passage West], it does cause a number of serious issues.

“I am suggesting the operator of the ferry should have more responsibility to address those issues and provide a service more in line with the capacity of the demands that are there. Certainly one service isn’t fulfilling those demands,” he added.

Two ferries — the ‘Glenbrook’ and the ‘Carrigaloe’ — service the River Lee crossing, connecting the communities on both sides of the harbour.

The ferries can carry 200 passengers and 27 cars at a time.

The crossing from Glenbrook to Carrigaloe takes five minutes and operates seven days a week, including bank holidays, from 6.30am to 9.30pm.