Moves have been made to overcome a rule that forbids islanders from priority access to ferry travel.
A pilot scheme was quietly launched on Thursday on the route to Craignure on the Isle of Mull and between Coll and Tiree which allows a portion of the vehicle deck space to be held back from sale to be release three days before sailing time.
It comes as ministers were accused of restricting islanders' human right of freedom of movement through what some have described as a "discriminatory" first-come-first-served booking service where people have to book three to four weeks in advance to get on and off the island.
Transport Scotland was told that the system is "prejudiced" against people who have to make journeys at short notice, and prioritises those who can book in advance.
Transport Scotland has previously said that under the the terms of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) contract CalMac has to ensure that all bookings are dealt with on a first come, first served basis and that there is no discrimination between one ferry user and another.
READ MORE: Will one of CalMac's oldest ferries ever return after nine months out?
But islander groups feel the ‘first come, first served’ is proving unfair to islanders, particularly in busy summer months where ferries can be booked up weeks in advance by visitors.
Ferry users groups say the issues had never previously been an issue because the ferries were not so congested.
The pilot scheme has been launched after the Mull and Iona Ferry Committee told ministers that there had to be reform of the booking system and better management of ferries to ensure that island residents are prioritised.
Now a test scheme has been introduced where a portion of vehicle deck space will be held back from sale, to be released three days before sailing time.
It is understood that en route from Oban to Craignure on the Isle of Mull, the retention is being set at 10%. So for every MV Loch Frisa sailing there was to be be around three car spaces held back and for every MV Isle of Mull journey, there would be six. Is is understood those spaces will be made available for sale 72 hours before sailing time.
It is believed that for Coll and Tiree served by MV Clansman, 12.5% of space would be left and would be made available a week before sailing time.
The scheme coincides with the start of the winter timetable which starts on October 23 and runs till March 28, next year.
The Mull and Iona Ferry Committee, which has put forward the plan to ministers, say that people who make a ‘last minute’ decision to travel - predominantly island residents for shopping and family trips - will have a greater chance of finding tickets available.
CalMac have confirmed that booking is now available. Tickets will be available for anyone to buy although the scheme is targetting local travellers. The committee say that to overcome general demand, CalMac will not market or promote the system to the public, so that it is less likely to be used by other travellers.
It is hoped that the scheme might be expanded to other island communities.
It comes after islanders have provided huge support for the introduction of a Samso System - an islander-priority method for ferry ticket sales.
It is modelled on arrangements used on the Danish island of Samso that ensure island residents get better access to ferry space.
Under the Samso ferry company scheme, island residents and eligible frequent-travellers are allocated an ID card, which gives them access to a portion of the car deck space reserved for them.
The Samso ferry company reserves a dynamically adjusted proportion of car deck space on every sailing that can only be pre-sold to island residents, or other essential regular users from the mainland like GPs and delivery drivers.
It is believed it increases the likelihood that islanders will be able to buy a vehicle ticket on the sailing of their choice, and helps to make ticket availability more equal.
The Mull and Iona Ferry Committee (MIFC) ran a survey, and they returned support of 95%.
On Arran a survey last summer found that 96% supported the scheme out of more than 670 respondants. On Coll there was 96% support.
Mull and Iona Ferry Committee chairman Joe Reade said: "I hope it will make a really good positive impact for Mull and Tiree. It is baby steps to something more complete later on. The main compromise is that it is not for exclusive use for island residents.
"This is something we initiated and our neighbours on Coll and Tiree wanted to be involved. It is reasonable to test this and get some learnings and roll it out if other islands want it.
He said the pilot was the result of meeting then transport minister Jenny Gilruth last summer who agreed to a trial.
"It should be for at least a year.
"The real solution that is needed is more ferry capacity. If there was more capacity we wouldn't have to do this.
"The first-come-first-served scheme does discriminate. It doesn't work for a lifeline ferry services. It doesnt work if you want to go to a funeral or hospital appointment.
"The aim is to learn from this pilot, and use those learnings to help design a permanent system that could be rolled out across the network in future. During the pilot period - which should be at least for this winter and next summer - the percentage and timing of retained space may be adjusted as usage patterns and impacts become known."
Pauline Blackshaw, CalMac's director of strategy and change, said: “Following discussions with Transport Scotland, Mull & Iona Ferry Committee and Coll and Tiree Community Councils, a deck space reservation pilot will be trialled to allow customers with last-minute needs to be able to travel when a sailing would otherwise be fully booked.
“The pilot will remain in place for the duration of the winter timetable on the Oban-Craignure and Oban-Coll-Tiree routes. When bookings open a percentage of deck space will be held back on these routes and opened to the public at a later stage.
“While we are unable to prioritise customers, we recognise that they often require to travel without notice, which can be difficult during busy periods when sailings fill up quickly.
“We will continue to engage with communities and Transport Scotland throughout the pilot period to gather feedback on impact. This will be used to inform our next steps, including whether to roll out to future timetable periods or to other routes.”
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