The Renfrew Ferry could be making a comeback on the Clyde, if enough local people get behind the idea.

The suggestion comes after the council confirmed the Renfrew Bridge will be closed to traffic for a number of months, following damage to its opening mechanism during Storm Boelo.

Since the closure, residents and drivers have been calling online for the ferry to return. The service carried passengers across the river between Renfrew and Yoker for more than 240 years, but stopped running shortly after the new bridge opened, when falling passenger numbers made it unsustainable.

A community Crowdfunder?

In a social media post, those behind the ferry said the bridge closure had “got people talking” about bringing a service back, and asked whether there was enough interest to explore a Crowdfunder to help get a new boat operating.

They stressed they weren't committing to anything yet, calling it “just an idea at this stage”, and asked whether local people and businesses would be willing to chip in a few pounds if it proved possible.

Councillors press for answers

Meanwhile, Renfrew councillors Lisa-Marie Hughes and Jim Paterson met senior council officers on Thursday morning about the bridge and last weekend's flooding in the town.

Cllr Hughes said they had been clear that the decision not to deploy the flood barrier, and the procedure behind it, must be reviewed, and that they wanted the bridge back in action in the shortest time possible.

Fellow councillor Jamie McGuire called on the council to be fully transparent about what went wrong, how long repairs will take, what they will cost and who will pay. He questioned how the risk of water getting into the bridge's plant room had been assessed when it was designed and built.

What the council says

Renfrewshire Council said the tidal surge on the Clyde at Renfrew last Saturday night reached 6.7 metres, the highest since digital records began in 1998 and more than twice the level forecast.

The council said the forecast data available at the time didn't meet the threshold for activating Renfrew's flood barriers. It says it will review those arrangements to reflect the impact of a changing climate, and is looking at ways to support affected businesses in the Renfrew North area.

Read more: Renfrew Bridge closed to traffic for months after Storm Boelo damage and Renfrew's flood barriers weren't raised as Clyde water swamped Ferry Road.

Photo: Renfrew–Yoker Ferry by Jim Smillie, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.