Hearing letter:
In the last passing weeks Strandferðslan has vigorously worked to transform Teistin´s route between Gomlurætt, Skopun and Hest, so it will be suitable for passengers and simultaneously will live up to the demands that contracts and rules prescribe.
In a public article on the 19th of July Strandferðslan confirmed that Teistin faces challenges on the route to Sandoy and the timetable did not seem to be realistic. Later on amongst others Skipara & Navigatørfelagið affirmed that there is too much pressure on the crew.
Strandferðslan is obliged to tend to transportation over the fjord to Skopun as efficiently as possible whilst sticking to preset rules. For this reason, the management, captains, the intercommunications department and the sea department have thoroughly debated how to reshape the route.
Strandferðslan is of the fundamental understanding that the routes between Gomlurætt and Skopun and Gomlurætt and Hest had been best maintained with two ships, Teistan between Gomlurætt and Skopun and a smaller ship to Hest. At the moment only Teistin sails this route and with this ship a timetable has been made that divides the route to Skopun and Hest into two different routes – one route directly between Gomlurætt and Skopun and route between Gomlurætt and Hest.
On the route between Gomlurætt and Skopun there will still be nine return journeys every day. Between Gomlurætt and Hest there will be three direct journeys a day, one journey in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. But the journeys in the afternoon on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will not be sailed because during these times the crew will perform safety training, maintenance work and bunkers.
With two routes the timetable will be clearer, the sailing time between Gomlurætt and Skopun will be shortened, because Teistin saves time with not sailing to Hest on these journeys and there will be time to unload and reload between the journeys.
Many interests must be met in connection with this route. The passengers must have a good timetable as possible, the crew´s trade unions set their conditions, and Skipaeftirlitið demands regularly that rules and regulations are maintained.
”This change solves the challenges we have faced. We have been squeezed between demands of constant sailing and regulation according to contracts with the crew and here we are trying to meet as many interests as possible on board a ship” says Hilmar Eliasen, CEO.
Hereby the proposal for a new timetable for the route to Sandoy- and Hest is sent out to hearing for 14 days, and people are welcome to send their comments to fyrisiting@ssl.fo. The timetable can be seen here