THE CalMac ferries debacle is hampering islands’ industries recovery out of coronavirus amid claims that freight haulage is more busy than before the pandemic and passenger vessel disruption threatens tourism’s fightback.
As business picks up across manufacturing and hospitality and tourism industries there is a warning of “severe pressure” across all Scotland’s lifeline island routes around the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.
Hauliers are calling on Transport Scotland to sanction deployment of an interim freight vessel while arguments are stacked up for another full-time addition to the freight fleet and there is already tension over whether visitors or islanders are prioritised on passenger ferries, where the largest vessel, the MV Loch Seaforth, is under repair and out of commission until the end of May.
While the MV Glen Sannox, the first of CalMac’s two new ferries held up by the difficult journey currently being undertaken by Ferguson Marine, will be due next year and the proposed replacements for freight vessels MV Hildasay and MV Helliar operated by Serco NorthLink in the Northern Isles, which will be able to take an extra row of trucks on both decks with capacity for 86 instead of 68 trailer units, have been announced.
READ MORE: Over half of CalMac's lifeline ferry fleet now operating past life expectancy
CalMac said it now plans to charter a ferry to boost resilience on the network and Transport Scotland said it is developing an “islands connectivity plan” which will “consider island connectivity more broadly, bringing together aviation, ferries and fixed links, along with connecting and onward travel” amid calls for a third vessel in the north.
Neil Leslie, commercial director of the Shetland-headquartered Northwards haulage business, said transportation is busier now than before the pandemic as the landscape has changed against the backdrop of more people buying online and the reopening of industries restricted by lockdowns.
He said ferry operators “did a good job last year in coping with volumes, but they had no passengers, no cars, no tourists, no campervans, no caravans. We see that started already up here, but we don’t want to turn that off either.
“For us the only interim measure they could do to make it any better is to get a third vessel in, at least from now from this time of the year through to the early winter. Things are busier now than pre-Covid.”
READ MORE: CalMac confirms fifth delay over repair of its biggest vessel
He said: “We feel very frustrated. In Shetland particularly it is our only route to market.”
Emma Clark, of Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative and owner Glenegedale House Islay, said disruption across the ferry service has impacted firms’ return to business.
“The age of the fleet and failing service is having a knock-on effect to our recovery within tourism. We understand it is not just CalMac but a united front with Transport Scotland, Scottish government and CalMac that needs to work on this. However, we urgently need ships able to provide a more full and reliable service to serve our islands businesses and community.”
Planning and allocating spaces for commercial customers in advance has meant that “CalMac is meeting the demand as it is presented for shipping at ports” it said.
Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, said the firm now plans to lease of a vessel from Pentland Ferries.
“We are currently investigating with Transport Scotland the option of leasing the Pentalina on a long-term hire to provide additional resilience across the network,” said Mr Drummond. “The Pentalina was not available to provide cover while the MV Loch Seaforth was being repaired because she is only available for active service on four weeks’ notice.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Since 2007 we have invested more than £2 billion in the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services, Northern Isles Ferry Services and ferry infrastructure.” It said it is “developing a revised stakeholder strategy and is already embedding this in new investment projects”.
Tomorrow: How the pandemic has changed the business of haulage across the Scottish islands
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