Woolwich Ferry closed all weekend due to staff shortage
A pretty disastrous year for the Woolwich Ferry is ending will a full weekend closure due to lack of staff.
TfL warn the closure will place additional traffic on crossings such as Blackwall Tunnel through Greenwich.
https://twitter.com/TfLTrafficNews/status/1203167796290605057
Since new ferries were introduced, reducing available vessels from three to two, problems have plagued the service.
Strikes have also affected services, and now a lack of staff is seeing cessation of weekend services.
Silvertown Tunnel was approved last week which will see tolls installed at Blackwall Tunnel, and authorities will also look at installing tolls at Woolwich and removing the Royal Charter for a free ferry.
That plan is likely to go down extremely badly with a service that actually operates – let alone one plagued with problems.
If it is staff sickness then I guess that cannot be helped. However, I do believe three new ferries should have been purchased by TFL and the Mayor Of London instead of just two ferries. So there is always a spare ferry available to use if a ferry breaks down.
I think this was quiet short sighted of TFL and the Mayor Of London that the service could fully operate with just two ferries. When there was three of the old ferries more often and not the service operated a one ferry service on most days hence the long queues at the ferry terminals at Woolwich and North Woolwich which puts added pressure on the Blackwall Tunnel.
The Woolwich Ferry as always been known as the Woolwich Free Ferry. I am not sure how people will react to having to pay a toll to use the ferry in the future.