Last week The Buteman revealed that CalMac had suggested the possibility of an hourly ferry service between Rothesay and the mainland - instead of the present 45 minute frequency which sees a gap at lunchtime.

We invited Buteman readers to tell us how they feel about it. Typical is an email reply from Frank Ledwith, which includes the following observation: "For the last 150 years, at least, the public transport system has worked on a schedule based on hours, not the three quarters of an hour which is used by the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay ferry.

"Thus you might wonder why it has taken so long for the possibility of the eminently sensible hourly schedule to be raised, made more feasible by the advent of the larger ferries now in use.

"There are a large number of people without cars, typically older, with less money and sometimes somewhat disabled, who travel by public transport and have to negotiate their way through the complexities of getting to and from Glasgow and Bute using ferry and train.

"For them an hourly service would be a great blessing."
In similar vein, Norrie J. Crawford of 45 Mount Stuart Road, referring to adverse weather, writes: "An hourly service would offer a little latitude in crossing time and therefore enable foot passengers a greater opportunity of catching onward transportation.

"It would allow CalMac to give greater customer satisfaction and therefore reduce the number of justified complaints."

Raising the vexed question of a breakwater at Wemyss Bay, Douglas Lindsay of Tarfside in Ascog also refers to the possibility of later services to the island and emails to say: "I know that Calmac will claim that there is no substantial demand for later services.

"This is because current residents are either infrequent travellers, or have made the adjustments to career and lifestyle consistent with the current limited evening service.

"Those who have been unable to do so have left the island, leading to the current demographic skewing of the population, with more and more of our young people leaving the island due to a lack of worthwhile employment prospects consistent with living on the island."

Also writing by email, Colin Spear of Battery Place reminisces about his commuting days when the first ferry in the morning and the last ferry in the evening ran no matter the weather conditions or how long the passage might endure.

Turning to the suggestion of an hourly service Colin writes: "As a regular commuter (thankfully weekly rather than daily) can I lend my support to the idea of hourly sailings. Ensuring the boat and train timetables are aligned is surely the right idea.

"Although the Seaview cafe at Wemyss Bay is simply superb, it does consume money and time that I can ill afford.

"The trains run every hour - the boats should do likewise."

On The Buteman website I. Dunn suggests: "An hourly service would make sense provided it didn't result in vehicles being left on the pier because the ferry was full to capacity. What would be the possibility of Calmac and Scotrail getting together to link ferry and train timetables?"

Meanwhile Cal MacSceptic, Isle of Bute, uses The Buteman website to see the other side of the picture and warns it could be the thin end of the wedge: "The only saving for CalMac is the difference in fuel consumption between vessels under propulsion during two crossings and the same time with engines idling at a pier. Of course it is the thin end of the wedge.

"Accept hourly sailings and the door is opened for crossings every one hour twenty minutes from Gourock.

"For the latter, of course, we would be expected to pay more as we would have longer 'cruising time.'

Do you agree with any or all of our contributors? Let us know how you feel. Are you in agreement with the majority - so far - who see an hourly service benefitting integrated transport?