Ullapool bus

An islander is urging people to e-mail Citylink with their experiences of trying to book a seat on the Ullapool ferry bus.

Travellers regularly complain about being left behind on the Inverness -Ullapool service which connects with the Stornoway ferry.

Numerous foot passengers have been caught out just turning up without a ticket on the twice daily service.

In one case, other travellers had a whipround to pay the £80 taxi fare for a couple to go from Inverness to Ullapool.

Stornoway - Ullapool passengers urged to make their bus complaints known

2 March 2017

Often the bus is booked up when last minute travellers try to reserve a seat.

Cal Mac staff at Stornoway - who take seat bookings for Citylink - unfairly bear the brunt of people’s frustration when told there is no room on the bus.

Citylink, which does not get a subsidy to run the service, has long stopped its traditional practice of having another vehicle on standby - just in case the first one is full - as it is unprofitable to operate a bus just for a handful of surplus people.

However, it does provide an additional coach if all seats are reserved more than 48 hours before departure.

MSP Rhoda Grant discussed the problem with Peter Knight, the head of Citylink, and discovered the coach firm had received no direct complaints.

Christine Macsween from Point, Lewis, says people who have been affected should inform the company by e-mailing complaints@citylink.co.uk.

Mrs Macsween said: “There have been numerous problems with the Citylink bus service.

“Passengers hoping to get a last minute seat on the bus have been turned away.

“Ferry cancellations have had a knock-on effect on passengers booked on the bus losing their seats.

“To resolve this situation as quickly as possible, Citylink need to fully understand the problems faced by their bus passengers.

“ The e-mail link above is available for people to let the company know the personal transport problems they have faced.

“Hopefully Mr Knight will come up with speedy solutions.”