CalMac: Why do islanders continue to be angry over ferries?
For several years South Uist has regularly been the victim of cuts due to ferry breakdowns and delays in annual maintenance which climaxed in losing their service completely for nearly the whole of June, 2023.
What is the concern on South Uist?
Residents said they feel "forgotten, abandoned, and ignored" due to repeated ferry cancellations over recent years. In June 2023, CalMac rerouted the MV Lord of the Isles, leaving South Uist without direct sailings to the mainland for nearly the entire month. This followed a four-week suspension between April and May and led to a major protest involving an estimated 500 residents.
The disruptions have led to business losses and concerns about population decline as some residents consider relocating.
The current concern is that MV Lord of the Isles has been lost yet again to cover for problems elsewhere at a time when it was thought CalMac had rethought its strategy.
What causes these frequent service disruptions?
The primary issue is the ageing ferry fleet, caused by a lack of investment in the ferries which continues to hit services, as the state-owned ferry operator CalMac looks to juggle its resources to cover what are lifeline services as best it can.
Four years ago, more than half of Scotland's lifeline ferry network was operating outwith its working life expectancy - being over 25 year old.
MV Isle of Cumbrae (Image: Newsquest) The oldest in the CalMac fleet is is the Isle of Cumbrae which is now 23 years past its working life expectancy at 44-year-old.
The MV Lord of the Isles, serving South Uist, is itself over 30 years old and has experienced multiple mechanical failures, including corroded steel, radar faults, and engine issues. Such problems necessitate extended repairs, during which no replacement vessels are available due to fleet limitations.
How do these disruptions impact the local economy?
Local businesses, especially those dependent on tourism and ferry traffic, suffer significant losses during service outages. For instance, a food takeaway near the Lochboisdale ferry terminal on South Uist reported losing hundreds of pounds per sailing, leading to reduced staff hours and cancelled tourist bookings.
Read more from Martin Williams:
What is being done to address the ferry service issues?
The Scottish Government pledged £580 million over five years to improve ferry services, including procuring new vessels. However, delays in constructing new ferries, such as Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa at the state-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard, have hindered progress.
The Glen Sannox finally commenced service in early 2025, with the Glen Rosa expected by September 2025, although there are worries it may not be available till next year. Additionally, new ferries like the MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal are planned to enhance service reliability.
A contract has also been awarded for the construction of seven new electric battery-powered vessels for smaller routes.
How are the ferry services paid for?
CalMac, under a contract awarded by Transport Scotland, gets subsidies to cover operational costs not met by fare revenues. The current £975m eight-year Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract expires in September 2024.
While passengers pay fares to use ferry services, they typically cover only a portion of the operating costs.
CalMac (Image: PA) The subsidies are in place because some ferry routes are not commercially viable due to low passenger volumes and high operating costs. Subsidies ensure that island communities remain connected to the mainland, supporting local economies and access to essential services.
Last year it was announced that ferry fears would increase by 10% from this year to allow the continued support of the ferries network in future years.
How are new ferries paid for?
The Scottish Government, or the taxpayer provides capital funding for new ferries via Transport Scotland. This funding is often channelled through "voted loans" to a separate state-owned company, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, which owns the ferries, ports, harbours and infrastructure.
While funding mechanisms are in place, critics say challenges in procurement and project management have highlighted the need for ongoing oversight and reform.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Clydebank parents fury as schools lose crossing patrollers
Following the council budget for 25/26, the decision was made to remove almost half of the lollipop people in West Dunbartonshire as they faced closing a £7.7million budget gap. The Glasgow Times visited parents at Our Lady of Loretto in Dalmuir, where their two patrollers on the junction of Dumbarton Road and Mountblow Road will not return to their posts in August. One parent, Megan Sawyers, told of her concern as the busy carriageway commonly sees large buses and lorries driving down the road daily. She said: "It's just insane that they [council] think that's acceptable, and the minimal amount of saving they must make from however many positions it is. "There are always accidents here. Last week, there was there were two cars that hit a fence." Parents and carers received confirmation last week of which schools are to be affected by the removal of the patrollers. West Dunbartonshire Council's Roads service, along with a specialist consultant, says they undertook a review of all 30 locations against the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents recommendations and School Crossing Patrol Service Guidelines. Megan also raised concerns over the traffic lights at the box junction. Traffic heading north on Mountblow Road doesn't have a filter lane at their traffic lights, which results in many of them running a red light, according to Megan. She added: "You get the buses going through it, you get trucks going through it. They wouldn't even be able to see a kid trying to cross behind them or in front of them. "Since they changed the intersection last summer holidays, the timing on the lights never seems to have been correct to get the traffic through safely." West Dunbartonshire Council, however, said they have no statutory obligation to provide school crossing patrollers and have received no complaints regarding the lights at the junction. However, it is understood they are set to carry out an inspection at the site. Barbara O'Hanlon (Image: Newsquest) Barbara O'Hanlon, who was at the school picking up her grandkids, called the news 'ridiculous.' She said: 'They definitely need [patrollers] for the kids because that's a busy road. That's scandalous. 'The kids definitely need it, and so do the adults as well. 'The lollipop ladies have been there for 40 years; she was there when we were taking our kids to school.' Maryanne Scott, who also has children at the school, warns that there could be fatal consequences to the cutting of patrollers. She said: "It's going to cost a life in the long run, so as much as they're saving funding, they will lose someone. "It's not practical at all; it's a major safety issue. You can give someone back their job, you can't give a kid back their life." (Image: Newsquest) Nicole McKenna, who was waiting on her two children, said: "That's a really, really busy road, and kids will get hurt. The road is mobbed. 'There are crashes at the bottom of Mountblow Road. "It's sad because the kids have grown up with the lollipop ladies; they look forward to going up and saying hi to them.' A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesperson said: 'Despite a budget gap of £7.7million for 2025/26, with similar financial challenges forecast in future years, an option to remove all crossing patrollers was rejected and we are continuing to provide the service at 17 locations across the authority. 'Sites where crossing patrollers are retained were identified by an independent assessment, which considered each location's traffic and pedestrian volumes. 'We have not received any complaints about the traffic lights at Mountblow Road, but the site will be inspected to ensure they are operating correctly. Drivers who do not adhere to the sequence of traffic lights should be reported to Police Scotland. 'The safety of our school pupils remains our priority, and work continues to ensure safe routes to schools.'
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Glasgow Times
I saw the demolition of the Caledonia Road flats in Glasgow
The towers at 305 and 341 Caledonia Road were built in 1971 and will be replaced by the owners, New Gorbals Housing Association (NGHA), with more than 100 new social rent homes. I went along to watch the explosions just outside the large safety exclusion zone. This was my first time seeing a controlled explosion in person, and the whole area was filled with a nervous anticipation. I cycled through the city centre before making my way through Glasgow Green, almost crashing as I started noticing the two 23-storey flat blocks at certain viewpoints. People were already lining the bridges, and some had brought picnic blankets to sit in the park and watch the flats being razed to the ground. The blocks were razed to the ground today, June 29 (Image: Julie Howden) READ MORE: Glasgow Caledonia Road high rise flats in Gorbals demolished READ MORE: Glasgow reacts to Caledonia Road flats demolition in Gorbals I arrived at the roundabout at the end of Caledonia Road before 11am, and a small hive of people had already gathered. Some had been there since they were told to evacuate their homes at 7:30am that morning, and they rushed to leave, making sure to shut their windows to avoid dust. There was a tension in the air as anticipation rose for the controlled explosion, and an emotional atmosphere as many locals shared stories about the high-rise flats. Tales were being exchanged, including stories of people growing fruit on their verandas. One local claimed that he used to leave for work and come home to find that his tomato plant had almost doubled in size due to the heat on the 23rd floor. There were laughs as others shared some stories full of mischief that weren't fit for newspaper publishing. But, many couldn't speak as they were overcome with emotion, and the phrase "end of an era" was repeated by everyone. They also spoke of the "landmark" that the towers were, noting that the many views they had of them would always "remind them they were coming home" - especially when seen from the M74 motorway. I saw the demolition of the Caledonia Road flats in Glasgow (Image: Newsquest) READ NEXT: Major road outside Scottish city closed as emergency services race to scene Just after 1 pm, a warning drone sounded from inside the sealed-off site. Gasps were heard around the street as the hundreds of people who had gathered collectively held their breaths. Then a loud pop started the demolition. First, the left, westerly, high-rise collapsed, shortly followed by the right one. The ground was shaking, and everybody was watching in silence as a cloud of dust billowed into the air. In the silence that lasted for a few seconds, but felt like minutes, the clear blue sky began to emerge from where the 226ft buildings used to be. The crowd broke out in a cheer, which seemed out of place considering the emotional conversations that had been taking place just minutes earlier. The crowds dispersed almost as quickly as the few short seconds it had taken for the high-rises to come down. I stood and looked at the rubble that lay where those stories were now buried before starting my cycle back to the city centre. The dust had blown up the Clyde, and I was coated in a layer of it as I made my way through Glasgow Green again. I couldn't help but stop to look at the space where the blocks had once been, while thinking of veranda-grown tomatoes and the sense of loss felt by the Gorbals community.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow reacts to Caledonia Road flats demolition in Gorbals
Some of them arrived hours earlier to secure a good view of the explosion, and crowds filled the closed streets around the exclusion zone. There was a tension in the air as anticipation rose for the controlled explosion, and an emotional atmosphere as many locals shared stories about the high-rise flats. Tales are being exchanged, including stories of people growing fruit on their verandas. The Glasgow Times was among the crowds, and we spoke with a few locals, some of whom still lived nearby or had moved away. The flats were levelled today, June 29 (Image: Julie Howden) READ MORE: Caledonia Road high rise flats in Glasgow's Gorbals have been demolished William Semple, 32, had lived in the flats with his mum. He said: "It's emotional. Very emotional. "I spent the best part of like two to three years in my life in the flats with my mum, and then I got my own house. "But coming back here and seeing them come down, yeah, it's a really emotional experience. "You could see them towering over everything, and it's going to be weird not seeing it anymore, honestly. "Bring on the new, I say, though, and it's all going to be social housing, I think, so it's all going to be for a good cause as well." Glasgow reacts to Caledonia Road flats demolition in Gorbals (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: Major road outside Scottish city closed as emergency services race to scene Terry Porter grew up in the maisonettes on Caledonia Road next to the blocks but has since moved to Linwood. Terry, 56, was there with his wife Annemarie, 55. He said: "I watched the other two blocks come down with my kids 10/12 years ago. "The skyline of the Gorbals is now utterly changed with these coming down. "But they were put up for a reason, and a lot of people say it's a lot nicer coming down, and people get a chance at decent houses with gardens, etc. "It's hard to see the last fingerprint of the Gorbals highrises coming down. "It was important to come here, I felt like I had to underline things just to see them coming down." Terry spoke about the Queen Elizabeth Square towers being blown up in a controlled explosion in September 1993. A family friend, Helen Tinney, was part of a large crowd watching the demolition of the 22-storey flats when a piece of flying debris struck her. Mrs Tinney, 61, died in the Victoria Infirmary after collapsing at the scene of the blast. Demolition of High Rise Flats in Queen Elizabeth Square, 1993 (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: 9 high rise demolitions that reshaped Glasgow's skyline as Caledonia Road next Scott Maclean, 30, stays at the edge of Richmond Park and could see the flats from his window. Scott said: "I think it'll be quite historic. It's in our skyline, from the windows, that we can see it from the house. "It's very interesting to see it change. They were very prominent. "They've been empty for a couple of years. "So, it'll be nice to see the area used for something. Don't know what that is, but I'm sure it'll be better than two empty highrises." Gary Mason, 53, also lives nearby and agreed that the demolition was the right thing to do. He said: "I think it's actually probably good to go. Some people that probably have lived here for a long time, it's a landmark, isn't it? "But then I think to see them go there, it's like clearing away trees and all that. It's new growth. "It allows new people to come in and get the benefit from the new places. "It is the end of an era, but I think it's better, it's nice to maybe see that they could have something a little bit different than that."
