Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil has won a one-way victory in a row over adding 15 minutes to the vehicle check-in on the main ferry to the isles.
Ironically it is exactly the same time the £42m vessel has saved on the crossing.
Mr MacNeil had accused Caledonian MacBrayne of making “outrageous demands on the travelling public.”
Instead of arriving 45 minutes before sailing between Stornoway on Lewis and Ullapool on the mainland – motorists had been told to come a “minimum” of an hour prior to departure.
But after protests from the MP, the ferry company has reverted back to 45 minutes, but only on services departing from Stornoway.
The one-hour check-in will remain at Ullapool due to traffic issues at the Wester Ross port.
Mr MacNeil said: “I am very pleased that vehicle passengers travelling from Stornoway will not have to wait an extra 15 minutes in the car park due to a traffic congestion issue in Ullapool, however I would hope another solution would be found to reduce the check-in at Ullapool as well.
“There is little point of faster ferries with longer check-in times as it leaves travellers enduring the same length of journey as before. Shorter check in times have to be something ferry companies aim for, after all you can fly all over Europe with a typical 30 minute check in time. It would seem unreasonable that a ferry company wants people to park their cars in a car park for minimum of an hour before sailing.
“I would like to see the overall check-in time in all ports reduced and also give passengers the option of an online check-in service.”
The MV Loch Seaforth is the biggest ship in the CalMac fleet and takes 2.5 hours to cross the Minch – 15 minutes quicker than her predecessor, the MV Isle of Lewis.