Action on ferries needed now
New ministers urged to act as current service is described as ‘worst in the last 20 years’
An urgent demand for action was made this week after it was announced it will be at least Thursday June 3 before MV Isle of Arran resumes service as the second boat on the Brodick to Ardrossan route.
The appeal has gone out to the new Scottish Government ministers in charge of transport and the islands as CalMac has given dates before of its pending return, only for these to come and go as work drags on to repair the MV Loch Seaforth, which saw the Arran ferry drafted in elsewhere.
VisitArran this week called the appalling ferry service currently being endured as ‘the worst in the last 20 years’. It claims it has led to holiday bookings being cancelled as visitors were unable to get replacement sailings, despite increased capacity on the Lochranza to Claonaig route.
The tourist body has called for direct action from businesses affected and asked for personal videos, highlighting the crisis, they can take along with other evidence to the Scottish Cabinet.
Islanders, too, are facing problems getting off the island with no bookings being taken until June 8 and the turn-upand-go capacity reduced to eight foot passengers on each sailing of the MV Caledonian Isles. Even passengers with dogs have been having trouble getting on ferries as the number of dogs is limited to 10 – unless you want to leave mutt in the car.
Both Arran ferry groups have written to the new Scottish ministers asking them for urgent meetings.
The Isle of Arran Ferry Committee has written to returning transport minister Michael Matheson and new ferries minister Graeme Dey asking for an urgent meeting to discuss what they describe as the ‘dire situation’.
Chairman Iain Thomson stated: ‘Covid-19 has severely
impacted us, as with all communities, however, the failure to provide an effective ferry service has exacerbated this impact and has caused major problems for our quality of life, the sustainability of the fragile island economy and will no doubt increase mental wellbeing issues and emigration of young people.
‘This has been amplified by the pandemic and will continue as a major limiting factor for community and economic recovery and sustainable development until satisfactorily addressed.’ The new islands minister, Mairi Gougeon, has been invited to visit Arran by Arran Ferry Action Group to see for herself the devastating impact the current ferry situation is having on the fragile island economy.
In his letter, secretary Chris Attkins stated: ‘This crisis extends to other islands up the west coast of Scotland served by the ailing CalMac ferry fleet.
‘We desperately need reliable ferries so the islands can recover just like the mainland, otherwise we risk the collapse of island economies within the next one to two years.
‘While we are fully aware this can’t be solved overnight, or in the next few weeks or months, we need a clear, decisive plan to get us through the next five to 10 years. And an urgent cross-party commitment to £500m investment in new boats over 10 years.’
CalMac says if the MV Loch Seaforth resumes service from Monday May 31, the MV Isle of Arran will return to the Brodick to Ardrossan route on Thursday June 3, but she will also start the Campbeltown summer season sailings on the same day.
In a rare bit of good news, it has been confirmed the sailings will now be via Brodick on Thursday and Friday and continued stop-offs on Saturdays.
Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, said: ‘Specialists are working day and night on the MV Loch Seaforth to ensure her safe return to Stornoway-Ullapool.
‘This has been an extremely frustrating time for passengers and our staff and I am grateful to them all for their continued patience.’
The independent CalMac Community Board is calling for immediate action to address the failure in services to our islands both in the short term but also urgently bringing forward new investment plans for the fleet.
These are not new questions, but a coherent strategy is needed now to respond to these issues and prevent further social and economic damage to our islands.
Ahead of its next scheduled meeting today (Friday) with Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac, it hopes to hear their plans for the short and medium term to address the critical situation our islands face.
Chairman Angus Campbell outlines the vital questions members want answered:
Dry docking/maintenance:
It is self-evident the current dry dock programme is not meeting the needs of the fleet.
Is the dry-docking programme meeting the needs of the fleet? Is the finance available to CFL a fixed sum per vessel/fleet or is there room for further funds if required? And is the time allocated for each vessel appropriate to its needs?
Are there any items left undone due to financial and/or time restraints? Who pays for any over-budget costs when vessels have to return to dry dock for further repairs?
On-going maintenance outside dry-docking:
Given the age of the fleet and ever-increasing need for maintenance, is that programme maintained to an appropriate level and do you have confidence in your vessels being of a standard expected for lifeline ferry services?
Can more pre-emptive work be done and do we have a ready supply of spares for vulnerable parts. Could a mobile specialist team support this process?
Future investment:
Given the urgent need for new vessels and the unacceptable delays to the Ferguson ships, can communities be assured that the £586 million budget approved will be spent in a planned but timeous way with community requirements included at design stage?
It is vital this programme proceeds independently of the present constructions and does not get delayed in a chain.
Who can offer these assurances and be publicly accountable for ensuring industry standard deliverable contracts, value for money spend, delivery deadlines and who reviews, signs off and stands by these decisions?
Given the vulnerable condition of the ageing fleet immediate action is required to source additional vessels, what assurances or evidence can you offer that every opportunity is being taken to lease/ buy new tonnage for passenger and freight purposes and who would pick up these additional costs?
Use of existing assets:
Can the present fleet be used to provide additional sailings?
Can relief crews and shore-based crews be used to supplement operations? Are there financial or contractual barriers to exploring this?
Are there fleet resilience concerns that prevent the use of the fleet in a way other ferry operations work?
Contract and structures:
The current CHFS has a clause for extension to be triggered in 2021. What assurances can be given to communities and businesses that this will not just be more of the same? Following that, there will be a new contract. How will that accommodate the need to meet growth in island economies and provide the promised lifeline services? The success of RET has shown the capacity for progress but will we get the fleet capacity to fully capitalise on that investment to benefit both the islands and the national economy?
The present structure of responsibility between Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac is not efficient and does not meet the needs of our communities.
What plans are there to allow community voices to be part of future structures influencing policy and strategic decisions?
z Bill Calderwood is the Arran representative on the community board.