WikiWirral Share a Little Learn a Lot about your Wirral
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,469
Posts1,033,975
Members14,847
Most Online80,173
Apr 25th, 2025
Who's Online Now
10 members (4 invisible), 26,908 guests, and 760 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,810
_Ste_ 16,347
Newest Members
han_3008, Emurphy, Rodger, raslo, Paulp83
14,847 Registered Users
New General Forums
Back To CB, Again! Yet Again!
by TheGodSplinter - 21st Apr 2025 2:29pm
Illuminated Bus WW2
by Alanbentley - 19th Apr 2025 5:11pm
Cancel Account?
by ladams888 - 30th Mar 2025 6:25pm
Last person to post wins...
by GaryB - 9th Oct 2007 9:15pm
New Wirral History
Birkett Scheme.
by bert1 - 8th May 2025 8:25am
70% houses damaged
by bert1 - 5th May 2025 3:10pm
Wartime Scouts.
by bert1 - 2nd May 2025 4:11pm
Belgium Chateau
by bert1 - 16th Apr 2025 6:55am
Bedford Park Athletic Grounds
by bert1 - 13th Apr 2025 8:34am
Top Posters(30 Days)
bert1 18
Topic Replies
Work Adjacent to West Float
by Excoriator - 10th May 2025 6:13pm
Birkett Scheme.
by diggingdeeper - 10th May 2025 1:53pm
ooh Top of the pops
by GaryFromWirral - 10th May 2025 10:15am
More Bins
by diggingdeeper - 8th May 2025 8:12am
70% houses damaged
by bert1 - 7th May 2025 11:31am
Wartime Scouts.
by bert1 - 4th May 2025 10:08am
Are our local councillors all insane?
by diggingdeeper - 3rd May 2025 4:22pm
My House is Haunted Series
by Longnails - 3rd May 2025 2:36pm
Physio advice please
by Longnails - 3rd May 2025 2:25pm
May
M T W T F S S
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
bert1 3
Top Likes Received
bert1 25
casper 4
Mark 4
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 2 1 2
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,489
Likes: 31
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,489
Likes: 31
Ferries cost us a pittance compared to buses and trains who are very heavily subsidised. The ferries get a relatively small historic subsidy from the tunnels.

The accounts in recent years have been written in such a way as to make reality almost undecipherable and internal money transfers within Merseytravel departments are not obvious.


We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Google Ads
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,293
Likes: 3
Forum Master
Offline
Forum Master
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,293
Likes: 3
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
also the traffic in the more southern parts of the Wirral that travel to Liverpool (and further afield) via Runcorn as that route is more cost effective.


I don't know anyone who goes via Runcorn to get to Liverpool. The M56 is always busy, more dangerous (there's a crash almost every day, including one yesterday)

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/chester-m56-m53-crash-causes-9694436

And the Runcorn expressways and the bridge are also heavy with traffic, especially as there are roadworks at the moment.

Factor in the time and fuel taken, its hardly cost effective at all.

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,293
Likes: 3
Forum Master
Offline
Forum Master
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,293
Likes: 3
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
Ferries cost us a pittance compared to buses and trains who are very heavily subsidised.


You might want to check your figures on that. Start with staff - how many people on a ferry compared to a few buses?

Deck crew salary is £15k-£17k & shift or weekend allowance.

Then look at maintenance costs and spare parts. How much to maintain a radar system for example

Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,129
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,129
When I did my stint with the Corpy and we had to go to Scotty Road area for parts various (which happened quite regularly), our manager used to tell us to fill the van with diesel and go over the Runcorn bridge because he couldn't be arsed arranging petty cash for the tunnel fare.Isn't it good to know your Council tax is being spent so judiciously?

Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 22
Newbeee
Offline
Newbeee
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 22
Great times Lud - Off to Fenton's Flues and Fixings for a couple of screws!!
With your love of driving and me riding shotgun, knocking the ZZZZZs out!!!
You could write a book -seriously.

Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,489
Likes: 31
Wiki Master
Offline
Wiki Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 14,489
Likes: 31
Originally Posted by Gibbo
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
Ferries cost us a pittance compared to buses and trains who are very heavily subsidised.


You might want to check your figures on that.


I do - I have been in correspondence with the Council and Merseytravel a number of times.

Using the 2012/2013 figures (the last year before they jumbled the figures up), rounded figures to millions.

Trains cost us £97 million (plus £18 million in fares etc)
Buses cost us £22 million (plus £10 million in fares etc)
Tunnels cost us nothing (except £37 million in tolls etc)
Ferries made money for us (except £12 million in fares etc)

Even if the Ferries make a small loss it is chicken-feed compared to what the buses and trains cost us.

Ferries:
Running cost £12 million
Income £12 million
Subsidy/Grant NIL (made a profit)
Council tax levy NIL (made a profit)

Tunnels:
Running cost £37 million
Income £37 million
Subsidy/Grant NIL (didn't make a loss)
Council tax levy NIL (didn't make a loss)

Buses:
Running cost £31 million
Income £10 million
Subsidy NIL
Council tax levy £22 million

Trains:
Running cost £115 million
Income £18 million
Subsidy £96 million
Council tax levy £1 million

The only hidden figure is the historic subsidy that the tunnels pay the ferry which I think is about £1 million.

Even if the Ferries make a small loss it is chicken-feed compared to what the buses and trains cost us. Yet its always the ferries under threat to save money????




We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,129
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,129
Originally Posted by parkhill62
Great times Lud - Off to Fenton's Flues and Fixings for a couple of screws!!
With your love of driving and me riding shotgun, knocking the ZZZZZs out!!!
You could write a book -seriously.
Yes Parky , I'm still thinking about writing a book about my time with W.B.C. I've got to be wary of litigation obviously, but I could write about all the lovely people that work there, and the bottom feeders (N.M.) all the funny stories, and of course I know where all the bodies are buried. I hope I manage to write it before old age, decrepitude and excessive wine consumption take their toll. By the way , are you still wearing lead underpants?

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,293
Likes: 3
Forum Master
Offline
Forum Master
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,293
Likes: 3
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
Originally Posted by Gibbo
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
Ferries cost us a pittance compared to buses and trains who are very heavily subsidised.


You might want to check your figures on that.


I do - I have been in correspondence with the Council and Merseytravel a number of times.

Using the 2012/2013 figures (the last year before they jumbled the figures up), rounded figures to millions.

Trains cost us £97 million (plus £18 million in fares etc)
Buses cost us £22 million (plus £10 million in fares etc)
Tunnels cost us nothing (except £37 million in tolls etc)
Ferries made money for us (except £12 million in fares etc)

Even if the Ferries make a small loss it is chicken-feed compared to what the buses and trains cost us.

Ferries:
Running cost £12 million
Income £12 million
Subsidy/Grant NIL (made a profit)
Council tax levy NIL (made a profit)

Tunnels:
Running cost £37 million
Income £37 million
Subsidy/Grant NIL (didn't make a loss)
Council tax levy NIL (didn't make a loss)

Buses:
Running cost £31 million
Income £10 million
Subsidy NIL
Council tax levy £22 million

Trains:
Running cost £115 million
Income £18 million
Subsidy £96 million
Council tax levy £1 million

The only hidden figure is the historic subsidy that the tunnels pay the ferry which I think is about £1 million.

Even if the Ferries make a small loss it is chicken-feed compared to what the buses and trains cost us. Yet its always the ferries under threat to save money????




You need to clarify - do your bus figures include all the buses in the region, or just the ones which do the same job as the ferries?

The ferry is now a novelty, nothing more than a tourist attraction, with maybe a little support from cyclists who don't want to use the trains.

Page 2 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Work Adjacent to West Float
by Excoriator - 10th May 2025 6:13pm
ooh Top of the pops
by GaryFromWirral - 10th May 2025 10:15am
Birkett Scheme.
by bert1 - 8th May 2025 8:25am
70% houses damaged
by bert1 - 5th May 2025 3:10pm
My House is Haunted Series
by Longnails - 3rd May 2025 2:36pm
For Sale & Free
Member Spotlight
Gibbo
Gibbo
Formby
Posts: 2,293
Joined: December 2010
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
New Wirral Info
Work Adjacent to West Float
by Excoriator - 10th May 2025 6:13pm
Unexpected development
by Excoriator - 23rd Apr 2025 4:45pm
Lower Bebington
by Alanbentley - 16th Apr 2025 7:00pm
Fire inHamilton Square station
by Excoriator - 11th Apr 2025 4:55pm
News : New Topics
Are our local councillors all insane?
by Excoriator - 20th Mar 2025 10:32am
New Ferry regeneration
by Excoriator - 16th Mar 2025 4:22pm
More Bins
by diggingdeeper - 19th Jul 2024 11:05am
New Enthusiast Forums
ooh Top of the pops
by GaryFromWirral - 10th May 2025 10:15am
My House is Haunted Series
by Longnails - 3rd May 2025 2:36pm
Physio advice please
by Longnails - 3rd May 2025 2:25pm
Popular Topics(Views)
10,343,738 CW Chat room thread
5,598,151 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,429,977 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5