Group’s appeal for return of custom-built ferry continues
CALMAC secured the eightyear contract to run west coast and island ferries less than a week ago, but questions are already arising as to whether the Mallaig-Armadale ferry service will be one of the 350 improvements the company has promised to carry out.
The Road to the Isles Marketing Group (RTTIMG) sent a letter to CalMac managing director Martin Dorchester, last Thursday (May 19) congratulating the company, but asked it to review the Mallaig to Armadale service.
RTTIMG chairwoman Sarah Winnington-Ingram said: ‘At this point in time we are not asking CalMac to spend money to improve the Mallaig to Armadale ferry service - we are asking them to return the boat which was successfully doing the crossing up until this year – a boat which was designed specifically for the tidal conditions of this crossing.’
The letter sent to CalMac stated: ‘If the problems with the ferries continue, it will seriously damage the tourism industry here as well as the south of Skye and our livelihoods will be at risk.’
Problems with the service began after CalMac removed the MV Coruisk from the route and placed it on the Oban to Mull route. RTTIMG has said the number of times ferries have been cancelled during the first few weeks of the new timetable is approaching 100, whilst the number of times the
Coruisk was cancelled during the same time last year could be counted on one hand
The letter said: ‘The Coruisk was designed and built specifically to cope with the tidal conditions of this crossing. I am sure the Mull crossing could be served equally well by one of the other boats, so why take this custom-built boat away from its intended route?’
Ms Winnington-Ingram said: ‘ The boats that have replaced the Coruisk cannot handle the conditions and crossings keep getting cancelled. The small boats cannot carry the number of coaches that want to cross early in the morning.
‘The Coruisk has done a good job on this crossing for several years and, although I am sure the Mull islanders are very pleased it is serving them, we need it back here.’
Councillor Ben Thompson, Caol and Mallaig, told The
Oban Times: ‘The key issue for Lochaber and Skye is to return the Coruisk to the service route for which she was built.
‘The current, far inferior service, with frequent cancellations, is unacceptable.’
Councillor Allan Hender- son, Mallaig and Caol, said: ‘I have no details on any changes CalMac intends to make. This award of the contract will not help the current situation on the Mallaig to Armadale run, although I will be appealing to the new transport minister to have a closer look at the current unworkable flotilla of unsuitable vessels currently operating on the Mallaig to Skye run.’
A CalMac spokesman said: ‘The company is still in a contract standstill period so we are restricted on how much detail we can go into but our bid proposal promised 350 service improvements over the course of the contract, including vessel and port improvements.’