Scottish Parliament dodges Sunday ferry issue 28/6/08
The Scottish Parliament’s transport committee has dodged the “sensitive” issue of Sunday ferries to Lewis.
In its report on the future of ferry services MSPs said they recognised the strong opinions on both sides of the argument and said the issue was best left to the local community to resolve
Calum Maclean of the Lewis branch of the Lord’s Day Observance Society said: “It is to be welcomed that the local community and the local government have the say on Sunday ferries in and out of Stornoway.
He added: “We’ve always argued for better, faster and more regular ferries at times which suit islanders - particularly a later ferry on a Saturday night - but they (Cal Mac) didn’t seem to listen to that.”
Tour guide Chris Ryan who lodged a petition to the transport committee for Sunday sailings to Lewis suggested it smacked of “double standards” pointing out that the Scottish Government intervened in Donald Trump’s golf course plans for Aberdeenshire over the heads of the local council there.
He added “I am huge believed in local accountability My argument is that seven day ferries are needed to grow economy of the Western Isles.”
“I think the decision rightly should be made locally but if Cal Mac was not Government owned it would want to operate on seven days to be viable.”
Meanwhile, James MacLetchie, spokesman for the Outer Hebrides Tourism Association highlighted the MSPs’ concerns for better ferries with timetables to suit the islands they serve.
He said: “We need faster ferries on the longer routes like Ullapool to Stornoway and Oban / Lochboisdale.
He pointed out: “A catamaran may not work with the sea conditions in the Minch and high fuel prices would hit a shuttle service with smaller ferries.”
He echoed MSPs’ worries over the lack of integration with other travel services pointing out that there should be a bus to meet every inter-island ferry.
