Ferry waiting rooms and toilets not all accessible for disabled people, harbour board hears

The council’s ferry waiting rooms and toilets are not all suitable for disabled people, an official told the harbour board today (Wednesday).

Ferry operations manager Andrew Inkster said the council “can’t hand-on-heart say they all meet the requirements”.

Councillor Allison Duncan said he was “very concerned” by the response, after asking whether the facilities were accessible to all that needed them.

He said he had been at a council meeting at some time between 2007 and 2012 where the audit committee was told “urgent action” needed to be taken to address that issue.

Mr Duncan questioned why, around a decade later, work was still needed to make all waiting rooms and toilets available to disabled people.

“I find that very concerning that has not happened,” he said.

Infrastructure director John Smith said that work was part of an upcoming programme of work the department was aiming to carry out.

And Mr Inkster said they had made good efforts to improve a number of the existing facilities.

But North Isles councillor Duncan Anderson said the accessibility in Whalsay, and on some of the council’s aging ferry fleet, left a lot to be desired.