Parliament committee’s ferry report 27/6/08
Western Isles MSP, Alasdair Allan, has welcomed the findings of the Scottish Parliament’s Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee into Scotland’s ferry network which has been released today.
The committee has made a number of recommendations including adjusting timetables and frequency of sailings to better meet the needs of ferry users, improving communication and co-ordination between ferry, train and bus operators, promoting more effective consultation of ferry users by operators and improving accessibility of ferries and landing areas for disabled people.
Mr Allan said: “Ferry users across Scotland, including those in the Western Isles, and their views have been at the heart of this inquiry into how essential ferry services could be improved to better meet the needs of those using them most frequently.
“The Transport Committee is calling for a national ferries strategy which will deliver a network of routes that fully meets the needs of the rural communities that rely on them and will hopefully lead to the long-term sustainability of these communities.
“I am also please to see the Committee calling for better integration and co-ordination between buses, trains and ferries. Lack of such co-ordination can often lead to problems for people in the Western Isles when trying to travel to the mainland.
“The Scottish Government’s forthcoming ferries review presents a genuine opportunity to deliver this strategy and to secure the long-term future of a ferry network which is fit for purpose in the 21st century.”
