The Spring TravelWatch Public Meeting will be held next Saturday 15th March at the Villa Marina - doors open at 09.30 for a 10.00 start.
Our main focus in the first part of the morning will be on our ever changing air services with presentations covering:
• Changes effective from end March 2014
• TravelWatch advice following the above changes
• Possible further steps to encourage safeguarding air routes
The changes in air services for the coming summer have continued to be a major concern as passengers are slowly realising that their usual flights may not be available. The restoration of BA Cityflyer's service to London City back to 3 flights each weekday and Citywing's move to provide a Glasgow service again are both welcome. However a shortage of London capacity is still expected at peak weekends. TravelWatch has produced a summary of the services which are likely to operate and this includes suggestions of alternative routings to places where direct services have been lost. Copies will be available at the
meeting or via the front page of our website www.travelwatch-isleofman.org.
Ellan Vannin Line's attempts to set up a rival service to the Steam Packet have raised public interest in the User Agreement at a time when it is coming up for possible renegotiation. Following the presentation on that topic at our last Public Meeting TravelWatch have sent a briefing paper to the IOM Government. An update will be given on Saturday morning.
Wind Farm issues continue to progress slowly but it is significant that the UK Planning Inspectorate is holding an "Open-Floor" Meeting in IOM, at which TravelWatch will be giving evidence, as part of its consideration of the plans for the Walney Extension Wind Farm. It is understood that this may be the first time such a meeting has been held outside UK - but it does indicate the UK Planning Inspectorate's willingness to listen to Manx views before making its recommendation to the UK Government. The "Open Floor" meeting will be held at the Villa Marina at 1400 on Tuesday 18 March 2014. Celtic Array are holding more "Public Information Meetings" on the Island in April when further information about the Rhiannon Wind Farm (between IOM and Anglesey). More information will be provided at Saturday's TravelWatch meeting.
TravelWatch - ISLE OF MAN will also be offering - as an experiment - the opportunity for a couple of speakers from the floor to have 2/3 minutes on a passenger travel topic of their own choice. Anyone wishing to introduce a topic is asked to contact Chairman Brendan O'Friel brendanofriel@manx.net as soon as possible with their topic so that the session can be as varied and useful as possible.
The TravelWatch On-Line Holiday Guide for visitors to the Island has been revised for 2014 and the TravelTips sheets providing travel information to/from the main UK ports and airports serving the Island have been updated. Both publications are available on our website www.travelwatch-isleofman.org.
More information on all these issues will of course be available at the Public Meeting which will finish by around 12.30 and be followed by the TravelWatch-ISLE OF MAN Annual General Meeting.
