CalMac has pledged to invest £6million in vessels and port improvements after winning the west coast ferry contract for another eight years yesterday.
There were celebrations throughout coastal and island communities as the public company was named preferred of the £900million Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract over its private competitor Serco.
CalMac’s bid makes almost 350 commitments to improve the service, aiming to help drive economic growth, improve customer service and make sure the company delivers value for money.
It has also committed to retaining the pension scheme for staff and its policy of no compulsory redundancies.
Revealingthe tender result, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “CalMac have a long and proud tradition of running the Clyde and Hebrides routes, and the company is woven into the fabric of the communities they serve.
“Their tender offers a good deal for those communities served by these vital transport links and ensures that we can maximise the opportunities to support and nurture our island economies.
“CalMac will better manage demand to drive an increase in traffic, as well as make the ferry services more attractive with the introduction of smart ticketing on key routes.”
Martin Dorchester, managing director of CalMac, said: “We are proud to be given the opportunity to transform ferry passengers’ experience across the west coast of Scotland and to work closely with our partners to connect towns, cities and communities like never before.
“Our successful bid demonstrates our ability to provide innovative service improvements and value for money for customers.
“The detail of our bid is confidential until the formal procurement process is concluded, however among the things that people can look forward to seeing are more opportunities for local employment; a refreshed on-board retail offering; investment in on-board facilities; closer, more responsive working with communities and an innovative approach to vessel maintenance to minimise disruption to services especially during the winter refit period.”
He added: “Now the hard work begins in delivering this contract during challenging economic times.”
Expressing his delight, Isles MP Angus MacNeil said: “Many of CalMac’s crews had told me of their nervousness about this process and what it could have meant for their jobs or terms and conditions so firstly for them this will be a big relief.”
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP David Stewart has heralded the decision as “a victory for common sense”.
He said: “I have been campaigning on this issue for more than a year, leading the debate in parliament, going to Brussels to seek expert advice and speaking at the Labour party conference.”
John Finnie, Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said: “This is the right decision by Scottish ministers. Lifeline public services such as west coast ferry routes must be kept in public hands.”
Speaking at a demonstration organised to “Keep CalMac Public,” Gordon Martin, Regional Organiser, RMT union, said: “We are absolutely delighted, obviously. We believe and have always argued there was no need to put the contract out to tender – these are lifeline services.”
Kenneth Mackenzie, managing director of both Cala Hotels and holiday operator, Hebridean Hopscotch Holidays, based in Stornoway, said: “I welcome Transport Scotland’s decision and I look forward to working with CalMac in the coming years to further develop tourism across the Outer Hebrides. It is my hope that the eight-year term of the contract will result in more stability within the leadership of the organisation and better quality decisions being made.”
Kevin Craven, chief Executive of Serco’s UK central government division, said: “We are obviously disappointed by this decision as we believe that we could have made significant improvements to the quality and reliability of these services to the benefit of the communities across the Western Isles.”