Ferry service anger

A storm of protest has erupted over a major ferry disruption planned for the busiest Western Isles lifeline sea route.

Cancelling the twice-daily established Ullapool to Stornoway link with an erratic, once-a-day, often middle-of-the-night service to Skye at a busy time of year has been condemned as “unacceptable” by both Western Isles Council and tourism leaders.

Complaints are going to transport minister Keith Brown as the six week debacle will badly hit tourism said the Outer Hebrides Tourism Industry Association.

At the same time, Cal Mac - under fire for its lack of consultation - is being pressurised to urgently meet with Western Isles Council over the row.

Travel to Lewis will be chaotic due to a six week irregular timetable brought in while the Ullapool ferry pier is out of action for car ferries.

The temporary alternative ferry service between Stornoway harbour and Uig, Skye, is planned to run from February 22 until April 7.

Anger over middle-of-the-night ferry service

20 November 2014

But it will leave at a different time almost every day due the relief ship MV Isle of Lewis being restricted in berthing at Uig except at high water.

There is fury that the number for sailings will be slashed by nearly half, with plans for only a single run each way most days.

To make matters worse, the disruption hits during the Easter holidays with only one direct ferry a day.

If all goes well to her pre-arranged planned February refit at a mainland shipyard, the MV Isle of Lewis will undertake a three-hour passenger and vehicle service between the two ports. Cal Mac will be desperately hoping there are no shipyard delays and the ship is upgraded to the maritime authorities’ standard and back at sea on time.

Replacing the 42-year-old ferry linkspan car ramp - which connects the ferry ramp with the shore - at Ullapool will take up to a month and a half, said harbour owners Ullapool Harbour Trust. .

The decision to start this work in February was made to avoid the extra inconvenience that would have been caused over the busier summer months, said Cal Mac.

Being forced to keep on the hired freight vessel, MV Clipper Ranger, to transport articulated trucks will be a huge added expense for ferry operator Caledonian Macbrayne (Cal Mac). Like the MV Isle of Lewis, she could ground at low water at Uig so will also follow an irregular schedule.

It also means Cal Mac’s flagship, the new £42 million replacement Stornoway ferry, MV Loch Seaforth, will only carry relatively a handful of people, a fraction of her capacity, for a foot-passenger only service to Ullapool, during the upheaval.

Island shopkeepers are concerned about what may happen to their stock deliveries while one truck company boss said he had not been given a copy of the changed timetable from Cal Mac.

Ian Fordham, chairman of the Outer Hebrides Tourism Industry Association (OHTIA), said the sector is furious over the timing of the disruptions.

Mr Fordham said: “The tourism industry in the Outer Hebrides is furious at the timing of the work in Ullapool, and the complete lack of consultation with the tourism industry and other users.”

He added: “It is beyond belief that this work should be carried out and disrupt sailings at the start of Easter and the visitor season. Businesses have a short season in which they try to earn a living, and the timing of the disruption is totally unacceptable. The work should be completed earlier in 2015, or postponed until later in the year.”

Mr Fordham warns: “The proposed alternative ferry service is totally inadequate in terms of capacity and scheduling, and will have a major negative impact on businesses and residents in the islands.

“It is ludicrous to suggest that services that arrive in the early hours of the morning represent a credible solution to the lifeline service that Cal Mac are contracted to provide, and we will be writing to the Transport Minister to intervene in this sorry situation.”

John Mackay, Western Isles Council’s transport chairman, lashed out at the lack of consultation and urged Cal Mac to meet with the council as “a matter of urgency.”

Mr Mackay said: “The people of these islands are being treated discourteously by Cal Mac which for a six week period will be reducing services and causing major disruption with no consultation or consideration of alternative arrangements.”

He stressed: “It is not acceptable for a publicly owned company to behave in this manner.”

He pointed out the removal of a second regular daily voyage vehicles and trucks is “bound to have an impact on how goods are delivered to and from the islands.”

Mr Mackay added: It is disappointing that these arrangements were not discussed with the Western Isles community as they will have a direct effect on both the travelling public and the business community.

“There are other options for dealing with the disruption caused by the necessary works at Ullapool which the council should have had opportunity to discuss with Cal Mac.”