THE ferry company have given very little information away about the reasons for the failure of the Ferry . According to the accounts of the operating company for the period ending March 31, 2018, it is due to be replaced in 2026 by reason of the 33 years’ timeline it allows for depreciation .

It would appear that in 2014, at a planning hearing about increased tolls, the replacement date was suggested as 2021. In view of the risks of further disruption, the company should tell the public exactly when the ferry is to be replaced and whether they have the funds to do this.

The ferry appears to be quite a profitable business . What the public need to know is how much it will cost to repair the ferry. Have the company got the monies in place to do this? What maintenance and survey work was carried out on an annual basis, by whom, and at what cost? Why was the problem not detected as part of a normal survey programme?

None of these questions appear to have been addressed. The outstanding question is whether, if there has been negligence, any duty of care has been breached and, if so, to whom ? If there is no duty of care at all to anyone whose livelihood depends on the proper operation of the ferry, then who is responsible for such a situation arising?

These are the real questions to be answered. Surely some contingency insurance should have been considered for the benefit of those affected from which they could have claimed compensation and some of the profits of the company should have been used for that purpose.

HARVEY SHULMAN, Lilliput Road, Canford Cliffs