Argyll and Bute Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Jura Development Trust have together found an additional £15,000 for the ferry service. This means the service will complete the entire three years of its pilot phase and can be fully assessed before decisions are made about its future viability. The council took the decision at a special meeting held on Thursday 19 August.
Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, Argyll and Bute Council’s spokesperson for transport and infrastructure, hopes the assessment will show the service can continue. He explains;
“The passenger service has been very popular with both islanders and visitors as it provides a rapid and direct alternative to the services from Kennacraig. However the service can only carry on if it is financially viable. “The council’s budget is under enormous pressure and we have to consider carefully where funds are spent in the future. While no-one wants to see the service disappear we can’t afford to support private enterprises which are not financially successful. I urge everyone travelling to Jura to consider using this ferry – it will only survive if more people pay to use it.” Argyll and Bute Council has added an extra £5,000 to the £37,500 it has already given to the service. HIE has today added a further £5,000 with £1,700 coming from the Jura Development Trust.
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