"We'll solve the problem and deliver a sustainable floating bridge for the community" - that's the promise from the new Isle of Wight councillor in charge of transport.
After being re-elected to the council earlier this month, Cllr Phil Jordan has now returned to the cabinet - a role he also secured in 2013.
He is taking over from Conservative cllr Ian Ward, who during his four-year tenure as Cabinet member for Transport and Infrastructure, oversaw the installation of the floating bridge and sanctioned the St Mary's Roundabout works.
Cllr Jordan told Isle of Wight Radio he had two main priorities now he's in office once again: to find a solution to the chain ferry and look at the Highways PFI contract.
He said:
"I want to take stock of the floating bridge and be brought up to speed on where we are in terms of any process that's been going on and then to look at how we look solve this problem as quick as we can.
"Second thing is to get up to Daish Way and to start talking to my old friends at Island Roads and find out what's been altered in the contract in the four years that I've been away."
The Cowes to East Cowes vessel has been plagued with issues since coming into service in 2017.
It was commissioned by the previous Independent administration, under former council leader Jonathan Bacon - who has also been re-elected to the council.
However, cllr Jordan insists they only got the money to pay for it. He said:
"The previous independent administration didn't sanction the floating bridge - the previous independent administration secured the funding from the LEP (Solent Local Enterprise Partnership)."
In March, a report found there were no issues with the approach taken with procurement, tendering and contracting of the vessel.
The Conservatives, who have since been ousted by the Alliance Group, previously said legal proceedings against the manufacturers had started,
Cllr Jordan says he will look into that:
"I will be briefed on where we are in the legal proceeding - if indeed there is one. And we will make decisions about how we resolve this. Clearly the existing floating bridge isn't working so we're going to have to do something about it - and we will.
"We're going to fix the problem, that's for sure. Until I've been briefed it's difficult to say what are next steps might be."
Cllr Jordan, who has also been elected to Ryde Town Council, says the new Alliance Group share similar views on how to take the Island forward and is confident they can work together.
The new group consists of 20 independent and other-non Conservative members. Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox will lead the group, and the council.
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