CalMac chief admits to 'stress' over managing ageing ferry fleet

The redevelopment of a pier and related facilities by Highland Council in Uig on Skye's north coast will mean the routes from there to Lochmaddy on North Uist and Tarbert on Harris will be shut to all ferry services in the autumn of next year.

The state-controlled ferry operator has already been strongly criticised for resisting reinstating full lifeline ferry services to timetable on the Western Isles next summer at a cost of £816,000.

CalMac is looking at cutting the capacity of the 21-year-old MV Hebrides, which normally carries 612 passengers and 90 cars, by 20%.

Mr Drummond was responding to a letter circulated by community group Harris Development Ltd (HDL) which accused the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland and CalMac of destroying tourism business opportunities for the whole of next summer and of setting the economic position of the Isle of Harris back by many years.

The working life of Scotland’s ageing ferry fleet has been raised by 15 years and helped to cut spending.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), the Scottish Government-controlled owners and purchasers of Scotland's ferries have quietly raised the 'depreciation' period of Scotland's ferries from 20 years to 35 years in the space of just 13 years.

Some 16 of CalMac's 31 working ferries deployed across Scotland are over 25 years old.

CMAL has said any concerns about safety is "scaremongering" and insists well-maintained ferries can operate safely for 40 years.

In September, CalMac were accused of being "divorced from reality” after describing itself as reliable, special and heroic despite a litany of recent problems The company made the boasts in a new tender document in which it seeks help advertising its services under a “brand transformation”.

The firm has been plagued with hold-ups, cancellations and breakdowns affecting lifeline services all summer.

But Mr Drummond, however, has told islanders of the effect of coping with what he calls "ageing vessels".

In response to Harris Development he recognised the "great difficulties" experienced by island businesses throughout the pandemic and said the ferry operator was committed to working with them to build back demand for 2022.

"I recognise the strong feelings that this whole process has generated and regret that it has led to a position where anybody feels let down by CalMac," he said.

"All of the staff at CalMac strive to provide the best service we can to all the communities we serve and it is very disappointing to us when we fail to live up to the high standards we set ourselves.

"The stress of managing through the pandemic, ageing vessels and capacity challenges have caused the business and all of our staff to come under intense and unprecedented pressure.

"That is for us to manage, but all of our staff have been working month after month to keep our services going. We continue to strive for the best service we can deliver with the resources we have available and will continue to do so in 2022."

He responded after CalMac came under fire after the latest issues which involve a shutdown of Uig harbour for a period of five months from September through to February 2023 leaving concerns some islanders will be left marooned.

According to the state-owned ferry operator, a return service is being provided between Ullapool on Scotland's mainland and Lochmaddy which is a four-and-a-half-hour ferry trip.

Because of the increased passage time and to allow a day return service no service is being provided between Ullapool and Tarbert.

According to CalMac Tarbert traffic will be redirected to Stornoway on the neighbouring island of Lewis.

The cut to the capacity of MV Hebrides would involve removing the use of the ferry's mechanical Mezzanine deck.

It came after the rejection of plans for a separate option, to amend the timetable to North Uist and Harris cutting frequency and moving sailings to unsocial hours.

The ferry which serves on two routes across the Little Minch to Harris and Uist was due to be replaced by one of two new ferries languishing in Ferguson Marine's Port Glasgow shipyard three years ago.

Uig harbour

The letter circulated by community group Harris Development Ltd claimed CalMac and its regulatory bodies were "putting profits" before honouring a commitment to lifeline ferry services, and were "bullying" the community with threats of service reductions.

In the letter to CalMac from HDL chairman Kenny MacLeod said that after the consultation meetings over the closure, he was left "speechless at the sheer contempt and insult shown to the people of Harris by the level of provision made for them during the closure of Uig next year."

Mr MacLeod, who is also chairman of the Harris Forum, which represents a number of community groups on the island, said: “Whilst CalMac had a suggested timetable for the service between Lochmaddy and Ullapool, all they did for Harris was to say we had to use the Stornoway to Ullapool service, with no additional sailings proposed.

“How do they envisage the vehicles that regularly use the Tarbert-Uig route being carried on the Loch Seaforth on either of her daytime crossings, when that is the most congested route in the whole network?

“People in Lewis and Harris struggled to get bookings to travel on either route last year, yet you are proposing amalgamating the two with no additional provision. This is nothing short of a total dereliction of your duty to provide a lifeline service to all the communities you serve.

“Not only have you decided to reduce the capacity of the ferry between April and early September, but you are now saying that it is a case of fight for a space with those travelling on the Loch Seaforth from early September onwards."

Two lifeline ferries, Glen Sannox and Hull 802 - due to serve the Uig-Lochmaddy-Tarbert route - being built at state-owned shipbulders Ferguson Marine were due to be in service in early 2018 but now well over four years behind schedule and their cost is now over double the original £97m contract.

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has previously state the plans to shut Uig harbour and cut services was "jaw-dropping" and said the Scottish Government had chosen to "cut off a community from essential economic and health travel links" in order to build a new pier for a ferry which may not arrive.

She has written to CalMac to ask for further consideration on how it can meet its legal obligation to provide a lifeline service to the communities of Harris.

CalMac has said no decision has been made on what the temporary timetables will be like during the 21 weeks and that no final move will be made until community views are gathered.

A spokeswoman for CalMac said that the closure of the harbour will "be challenging for all concerned"

"We are currently running a series of consultations, including speaking directly with communities affected by the disruption and this process is ongoing until January 7. A number of potential timetable solutions are being discussed with communities and we will take into consideration all community feedback before any plans are confirmed."

The chairman of Highland Council’s Skye and Raasay Committee, John Gordon said: "Construction of such a major harbour infrastructure scheme will no doubt create disruption for the community and harbour users so I am pleased staff will be holding regular and frequent community and harbour user liaison meetings, as well as having progress updates posted on a dedicated Uig Harbour Redevelopment website and on social media.

"It is important that residents and harbour users are clear what to expect and are able to communicate easily with the contractor. We all want to see disruption well managed for the project.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We understand the frustration of communities and businesses. “The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering sustainable ferry services to our island communities and the planned upgrade of Uig Harbour is an essential part of this. We regret any disruption as a result of the planned closure but this is essential to allow major investment in replacing life expired infrastructure and improving the resilience at Uig for the benefit of the Skye Triangle routes”.