The Transport Minister has refused to provide further support to ships for Scotland’s beleaguered ferry service as concerns continue to grow over disruptions that have meant a lack of vital supplies to the Scottish islands.
Speaking after Rhoda Grant, shadow cabinet secretary for rural economy and tourism, Jenny Gilruth called for additional payload capacity and the purchase of new ferries, saying the chaos should be attributed to the SNP government’s gate. show yourself “. to be incompetent ”
This comes after an unprecedented period of downtime due to a perfect weather storm, technical issues, Covid restrictions, and an extended scheduled dry dock that has significantly limited the tonnage available on the network.
The Herald revealed that the only grocery store in Colonsay said it had to run out of supplies for at least eight days as bad weather and problems aboard the ship reduced vital services.
Market filed a communication error complaint with state-controlled ferry operator CalMac.
Western Islands council leaders have warned that the lack of flexibility in services is affecting deliveries of essential goods to the islands.
READ MORE: The chaos of CalMac ferries means eight days without supplies at the island’s only convenience store
Some islanders have posted pictures of empty shelves in shops on the Isle of Lewis.
But as ministers are faced with requests for additional support for ferries and even chartered vessels to provide support, Ms Gilruth said she cannot guarantee additional tonnage of freight at this time.
“I’ll have to look at the costs associated with this,” he said. “However, I am aware that we are facing a challenge here regarding the sustainability of the current fleet. But it’s important that I have the opportunity to talk to CalMac about it. ”
Ms Grant, an MSP from the Highlands and Islands, said: “It’s not just a matter of time, the deterioration has been going on for years, but things are only getting worse. I ask the minister if his government is trying to create a government. It is a situation where communities that are firm against this will happily accept privatization.
“Mind you, we can’t wait until next year. The blame for this chaos lies on the verge of the SNP government, which has proved incompetent. They need to protect our island communities. Instead, they humiliate them. They did not provide tonnage and also refused to hire additional crew that would have been needed due to Covid restrictions to allow CalMac to use all available capacity.
“The minister is new in office but has no additional time as time is running out for our island communities.”
The Minister of Transport stressed that privatization ‘was not on the agenda’ and added: ‘You can say that I have no more time, but at least give me the opportunity to’ speak directly with them. I think we need to think about it. It has been a very difficult time for the communities on the island and I think we have had three named storms in the last week alone.
“Climate change is affecting the way our island communities experience ferry services. It is my job as a minister to make sure that these ferry services are available. “I am aware of some difficulties, but I hope you will understand that my job as a minister is to listen to the communities. That is why I am very eager to visit our island communities to speak directly. with them and ensure that some of the challenges they highlight today are adequately addressed. ”
He said he was aware of problems with the delivery of perishable products, but insisted that “there have been no reported cases where essential materials were not available”.
Two weeks ago, it was revealed that short wiring issues had been placed at the heart of the ferry debacle in Scotland to add further delays and increase costs over the already delayed delivery of two eco-friendly vessels.
The ferry, which will serve the Isle of Arran, will suffer an additional delay after the discovery of an “error” related to the internal wiring.
Built in the nationalized Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow, Glen Sannox (Hull 801) and Hull 802 are based on an “intricate web” of over 9,800 cables.
Despite their deliveries being nearly five years late, the cost of the two ships has doubled to nearly £ 200 million.
Ms. Gilruth said she will discuss tonnage issues directly with CalMac and will consider any additional support the government can provide.
But, referring to Ms. Grant, “She asked me to commit to an additional tonnage, she’ll understand that I can’t give her that reassurance in her bedroom this afternoon because I’ll have to look at the costs associated with THAT.”
When asked about ferry charters to support the network, Gilruth said Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) and Scottish government-controlled CalMac, which have the country’s aging ferry fleet, continue to search for suitable vessels on a temporary basis. affordable, reliable and affordable, “he added:” I know how frustrating this can be for local communities and individuals who are faced with disruptions not only due to weather conditions, but also due to ship failure.
“And while any malfunctions are truly superfluous, fortunately they are still relatively rare.
“It does not help the community, which has lost ferry service unexpectedly and sometimes without reassurance as to how quickly normal service can be resumed.
“Fleet flexibility is something we are committed to doing our best.”
CalMac said unplanned ferry outages are partly responsible for the outages, as well as the impact of the recent storms.
Last week, it was revealed that a significant amount of new steel was discovered in the dry dock of 25-year-old MV Clansman, one of the veteran statesmen of the old ferry fleet, delaying his return.
CalMac confirmed on Monday that MV Lord of the Isles will cover the clan on the South Uist route until at least March 3.
The ferry operator confirmed that many crossings would not have been possible on Monday due to winds of up to 51km / h.
The only ferry services classified as operating normally on Monday 29th were Uig connections on the Isle of Skye and Kerrera.
Source: Wales Online
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
