Islanders living on Arran are calling for guarantees from CalMac that people with medical appointments can travel to the mainland with guaranteed spaces reserved.
CalMac, the state-owned ferry operator, introduced a new timetable at the weekend which increased the number of sailings between Brodick, the island’s main settlement, and Ardrossan, North Ayrshire.
However, the two-metre social distancing rule continues to constrain passenger numbers, causing concerns the additional sailings will not be enough to support people with medical needs and the island’s tourism industry.
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Businesses on the island are now contemplating staying closed until 2021 due to continuing uncertainty over ferry capacity.
Sam Bourne, a spokesman for the Arran Ferry Action Group, warned the situation is “critical” as ferries operate at ten per cent of their passenger capacity.
Mr Bourne said the new timetable exacerbates the situation facing Arran locals because CalMac will no longer reserve spaces for people who need to travel to the mainland for vital medical appointments, although 20 per cent will remain unbooked to deal with emergencies.
He noted that, by the time people receive notice of medical appointments, which is often less than one week in advance, the 100 places for the key morning sailing off the island and return crossing will already have been taken.
Mr Bourne said this contrasts with the position for residents on the Western Isles, who he said have been given a commitment that places will always be made available for people travelling for medical appointments.
He said: “There is no guarantee for people on Arran.
“Is there a special deal for the Western Isles? This is critical.
“The backlog for medical appointments is huge. Our proposal is a reserved pool of seats for people with medical needs and they could allocate these seats on a priority basis.”
The Scottish tourism industry is due to begin reopening from July 3, when self-catering holiday accommodation is allowed to reopen.
The tourism industry will reopen in full on July 15.
However, Mr Bourne said some tourism businesses on the island are deciding whether to “hunker down” and remain in mothballs until next year.
Mr Bourne said: “I know some businesses have decided not to reopen, hotels, guest houses, and self-catering accommodation providers.
“They do not have the confidence to hire staff, they do not have the confidence to buy stock and consumables to feed people.
“To ramp up to open you have to spend money that there is no guarantee you will get back.
“Even if tourism is back up and running, businesses are worried they won’t have enough revenue to cover costs.”
The timetable brought in by CalMac on Sunday increased the number of daily sailings undertaken by the MV Caledonian Isles between Ardrossan and Brodick to five from two, and restored a service on Sundays, with four sailings on those days.
However, because of the two-metre social distancing rule, the vessel will still only run at about ten per cent of its usual 1,000 capacity. While as many as 4,000 passengers are normally ferried between Arran and the mainland per day in July, numbers are currently limited to 500.
Meanwhile, the Arran Ferry Action Group has welcomed confirmation from CalMac that it will permit passengers to stay in their vehicles on the crossing between Lochranza on Arran and Claonaig, Argyll and Bute when it resumes on July 15, after securing an exemption from the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Mr Bourne said: “We are slowly making progress, even the north ferry is 12 passengers maximum and one sailing a day.
"It is marginal.”
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: “Capacity challenges will remain as a result of physical distancing requirements on vessels that are required to protect public health and to ensure compliance with MCA regulations also.”
CalMac Managing Director Robbie Drummond said:“I have huge sympathy with the situation on our islands where there are competing demands between islanders and those businesses which rely on tourism for the reduced capacity we have available due to Covid 19.
“We are introducing a new timetable this week that increases capacity through additional sailings and this will be followed by another interim timetable in two weeks’ time that increases sailings and capacity even further.”
“We are working hard with Transport Scotland to ensure that we have the maximum capacity available on our vessels and we stand ready to adapt to any change in the rules around physical distancing as they are announced.”
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