Call for emergency ferry as island hit yet again in latest service cuts
MINISTERS have come under fire for failing to sanction an emergency ferry as several Scottish islands were left with no service after two vessels were taken out of operation for repairs.
Island communities have issued an appeal for help after MV Hebrides, one of the biggest vessels in the Calmac fleet, collided with a pier – causing a series of cancellations to services.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar council, which covers the Western Isles, has now demanded action after North and South Uist and Benbecula were left without a ferry service.
A resultant knock-on effect has caused chaos across the network as one vessel has had to be taken off the busiest route, Ardrossan to Arran, to plug the gap.
Concerns have been raised that
South Uist has already suffered around three months of disruption since the start of the year and is now being hit with cancellations again.
Storas Uibhist, a community-owned company that manages the 93,000-acre South Uist Estate comprising the islands of Eriskay, South Uist and parts of Benbecula, previously raised concerns at the start of the year that an “essential services” ferry timetable meant that the Lochboisdale route was the only one across the entire Calmac fleet to be suspended.
But on Thursday sailings to both North and South Uist were cancelled after state-controlled ferry operator Calmac reported that the 22-year-old MV Hebrides had “made contact” with Lochmaddy Pier on Wednesday night.
It came a matter of days after the 33-year-old Lord of the Isles, one of the oldest in the ageing fleet, was taken out of service due to a fault earlier in the week and is not expected back until next week at the earliest.
Lord of the Isles was withdrawn for repairs to its drencher system, in the hope this will “allow the vessel to remain in service throughout the summer”.
The vessel headed for Greenock on Tuesday and, according to Calmac, is estimated to return to service on
May 25 at the earliest.
Calmac apologised and said it was considering moving boats around the network.
But islanders are now facing journeys of more than five hours, involving multiple ferry crossings, to get to the mainland.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has reacted angerily at Uist being left without a service and demanded that action be taken and an emergency ferry brought in.
The council said that the withdrawal of two ferries has led to a scenario that islanders have “feared for so long”.
It has repeated calls, made by other groups, to bring in Pentland Ferries’ MV Pentalina, which has been on the market for a cost of £5.6m-£7million, on a lease deal. The vessel can carry up to 350 passengers and 58 cars.
But Sam Bourne, chairman of the ferry action group on Arran, said the Pentalina would not immediately solve the issue as it had been laid up and would not be ready for commission.
He said: “This is the inevitable results of where we are – the lack of vessels – you have to juggle the fleet to fill the gap. MV Isle of Arran has to fill the gap for the Western Isles and it is absolute chaos.
“In the last six months, South Uist has had three months without a boat and it is not sustainable. They seem to be the first island to go out when the juggle happens.
“There is no solution tomorrow. Pentalina is weeks away. She is not sat in commission. She is in warm lay-up. So she is probably not certified, so it takes time to get it recommissioned. Pentalina could alleviate the pressure but not immediately.
“It is too late to put in place the solution now, because you haven’t acted on it previously.”
Despite successful berthing trials, Pentland Ferries, which runs a ferry service between Orkney and the mainland, decided not to enter into a leasing agreement with Calmac in the summer of last year, in a dispute over whether the Pentalina was fit to sail.
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “During any disruptions Calmac will prioritise sailings to ensure delivery of essential supplies and export of island products, supporting island and remote economies.
“Ministers recognise that having confidence in ferry services can impact upon people’s decisions on whether to live and work on the islands, and impacts upon the sustainability of the island communities themselves. These human impacts are at the heart of Scottish ministers’ commitment to continued investment in ferry services across Scotland.
“We continue to charge Calmac Ferries Ltd and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd with seeking potential second-hand tonnage to improve operational resilience on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry routes.”
This is the inevitable results of where we are – the lack of vessels – you have to juggle the fleet to fill the gap