Ferries and bridges can boost Scots economy, say rivals
A ferry route between Rosyth and the continent could be revived to help boost Scottish links with Europe and cut carbon emissions, the Scottish Greens have said.
Meanwhile, the SNP unveiled plans for a bridge from Gourock to Dunoon to reduce reliance on ferries as improving transport links both from and within Scotland prove a key part of the Scottish Parliament elections.
The Greens said they want to work with ferry bosses at Calmac to set up new links between Scotland and Europe.
Party co-leader and Lothian candidate Lorna Slater said tailbacks linked to Brexit had shown there was a need for more ways of getting to the continent and suggested publicly-owned ferry services could be the answer.
She said "new low-carbon ferries carrying freight and holidaymakers" would help tackle climate change and could be a popular alternative to flights to Europe.
Superfast Ferries launched a passenger and freight ferry between Rosyth and Zeebrugge
in May 2002. The service was taken over by Norfolkline in 2008, but it ended in 2010 and was replaced by a freight-only ferry operated by DFDS which continued until April 2018, when it was declared not economically viable.
Ms Slater said: "Scotland's journey back to Europe starts at this election, and the Scottish Greens want to see new links established from places like Rosyth, which has the advantage of already having infrastructure in place.”
The SNP’S call for a bridge across the Firth of Clyde – a plan considered then rejected by Transport Scotland as a solution to the A83 Rest and Be Thankful problems – came in its manifesto, the party promising to “explore the potential to build more fixed links to island and remote communities”.
The narrowest part of the Firth – served by Western Ferries’ car ferries – is 2.4 miles so such a bridge would dwarf the 1.7 mile-long Queensferry Crossing, which cost taxpayers £1.35 billion.
There could also be problems as the bridge would cross waters used by large ships and submarines.