Islanders are calling for a “fit-to-purpose” ferry fleet after suffering more disruption following operator CalMac’s reshuffling of services to cover for ongoing repairs to a vessel.
Locals who fear the “erratic services” will have an impact on tourism and the local economy are seeking an urgent meeting with Transport minister Humza Yousaf.
Outer Hebrides Tourism has hit out following the removal of the Lord of the Isles ferry from the Uig triangle route.
Chairman Ian Fordham said they were suffering yet again from CalMac juggling ferry services due to ‘operational reasons’.
He added: “Since the start of the peak tourist season capacity has been sacrificed at short notice from the ‘Uig triangle’ ferry route with a vessel too small to even deliver an effective service for pre-booked passengers.”
The organisation has written to Mr Yousaf seeking his personal intervention for the urgent reinstatement of the ‘Lord of the Isles’ to its normal schedule on the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route.
They are also seeking a meeting “as a matter of priority” to address concerns around Calmac’s “ageing fleet and its inability to commit publicly to ongoing service reliability”.
Mr Fordham said there were more than 218,000 visitors a year and that thousands of local businesses depend on visitor economy, adding: “OHT is also extremely concerned over the recent recurrent warnings from Calmac that their vessels are too old to guarantee service reliability so asks what steps are being taken to provide, at absolute minimum, a fit-for-purpose ferry service for the future to the Outer Hebrides.”
Earlier this month CalMac’s interim managing director Robbie Drummond admitted their ageing fleet – eight of which are more than 30 years old – was causing issues on routes.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Minister has received the letter and will be happy to meet Outer Hebrides Tourism.
“While the issues around the MV Clansman and MV Bhrusda are an operational matter for CalMac, we understand the frustration of the communities which rely on their ferry services.
“The impact on services is deeply regrettable and CalMac has assured the Scottish Government it is doing all it can to improve manage the situation by arranging reshuffling the fleet to ensure lifeline services are maintained to all the communities it serves in the Western Isles.
“Our recently published Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan shows how existing, planned and prospective vessels could be deployed across the Clyde and Hebrides network to deliver the commitments set out in the Scottish Ferries Plan, and better address forecast demand. Future vessel provision on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry service network will be based on the conclusions set out in the report and the affordability of those proposals.”