Separate waiting line for locals

The increase in passengers between Klaksvík and Kalsoy means that Kalsoy locals sometimes struggle to get a place on the ferry.

This has prompted the Outlying Islands’ Association to propose a separate waiting line at the ferry berth in Syðradalur, Kalsoy. And Landsverk, the national road and tunnel authority, has announced that this separate waiting line will be made this summer.

In 2014, 38,335 people and 5,854 vehicles crossed the Kalsoy bay. Last year, this figure had increased to 57,306 people and 7,964 vehicles.

Residents on the island are feeling this increase as they often find themselves struggling to get on board the ferry, Sam.

The Outlying Islands’ Association recently sent a letter to Strandfaraskip Landsins, the national transport company, requesting a solution to this problem by 1 July.

The letter reads: “From May to September, Sam is so fully loaded with passengers and cars that Kalsoy residents never know whether there will be space for them on the ferry.

“This intolerable situation disrupts the daily lives of the residents, and it is getting worse by the day.”

The association suggests a separate waiting line for locals, who will be given priority access on the ferry.

Strandfaraskip Landsins is not authorised to carry out work on land, so the request has been passed on to Landsverk, which has already pledged that the new waiting line will be ready to use this summer.

Translated by prosa.fo