A ROW has erupted over the £9m charter of an 'emergency' ferry which is at the centre of a crash probe after government officials failed to meet with the operator to discuss it.
It has been confirmed that neither the transport minister Jenny Gilruth, who announced the charter, or any representatives from Scottish Government-owned ferry procurers Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited or Transport Scotland met with the operator that they were taking the relief vessel from.
The Scottish Government said any discussions over the charter would be a matter for the ferry operator CalMac.
MV Alfred is due to join the fleet from April 18 when she will undertake berthing trials before being made available for service for nine months.
The vessel remains at the centre of a crash investigation dating back to the summer of last year, and will be chartered from Pentland Ferries who will operate services on behalf of CalMac.
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It has come amidst continuing disruption to lifeline ferry services with faults with three sidelined lifeline vessels not expected to be resolved before the summer season starts on April 1.
All crew will be provided by Pentland Ferries who will be responsible for delivery of service and the operational, technical and safety management of the vessel, including maintenance, repair, overhaul and provision of crew throughout the charter period.
The vessel was at the centre of controversy when on July 5, it partially ran aground on the Isle of Swona, the more northerly of two islands in the Pentland Firth between the Orkney Islands and Caithness on the Scottish mainland.
RNLI lifeboats were called to evacuate the Vietnam-built – with one person being rushed to hospital with a fractured shoulder.
Dozens more were feared to have suffered mental trauma and physical injuries including fractures, sprains and soft tissue damage.
It emerged that six passengers injured are seeking compensation.
There are concerns that the vessel is still subject of a Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigation into last year's crash which could raise health and safety questions.
The Scottish Government confirmed that Ms Gilruth had met with Pentland Ferries in December for a general discussion on chartering another Pentland Ferries vessel, MV Pentalina.
Scottish Labour MSP Katy Clark has expressed concern over the meetings failure.
She said she was "deeply concerned" that the Scottish Government had "blindly signed off" on chartered the vessel when there is still an ongoing investigation into last year's crash.
“It’s difficult to understand why this vessel has been chartered when there are still safety concerns. The Scottish Government frequently talks up its ‘fair work framework’, yet it is now wasting taxpayers’ money leasing boats without so much as a phone call," she said.
"Denying any involvement in this process and loading responsibility onto CalMac is a cynical use of public ownership. It also speaks to the Scottish Government’s shallow procurement strategy. Other than the overdue ferries sitting at Port Glasgow, the approach seems to be to scour the globe for second-hand vessels and rely on operators with a poor reputation for health and safety.
“The health and safety of passengers and staff should be the top priority when chartering any new tonnage, yet the ongoing investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch seems to have been blithely dismissed out of desperation.
“The Scottish Government need to properly consult with trade unions and island communities on a new strategy, so in the future such mistakes are avoided.”
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CalMac confirmed that MV Alfred, which has space for up to 430 passengers and 98 cars, or 54 cars and 12 articulated vehicles/coaches, can operate to some ports, but will not be able to deliver services in line with current timetables, due to the vessel's design.
The Scottish Government-owned ferry operator said the primary focus for the use of MV Alfred was to have her available for resilience purposes and provide relief benefits across the network.
The ferry operator said it should help mitigate the impact of disruption or where certain islands are reduced to single vessel service.
In announcing the charter last week, Ms Gilruth said: “I’m pleased to announce an agreement has been reached with Pentland Ferries to charter the MV Alfred, bringing improved resilience to the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network. This is a key step in our longer term commitment to retain a fully crewed vessel in the fleet for this purpose, as set out in the draft islands Connectivity Plan.
Video: MV Alfred in action
“The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lifeline ferry fleet and better meeting the needs of island communities. Since May 2021, we have bought and deployed an additional vessel in the MV Loch Frisa, chartered the MV Arrow and now the MV Alfred to provide additional capacity, commissioned four new vessels and progressed investment to improve key ports and harbours.”
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MV Alfred, once described as the most environmentally friendly ferry in Scotland, normally operates to and from Orkney.
It was carrying out a scheduled sailing between Gill’s Bay on the Scottish mainland and St Margaret’s Hope in Orkney when it hit the island last summer.
An initial inspection revealed that the Alfred’s port bulbous bow had sustained impact damage when it made contact with the uninhabited island.
While the port bow was grounded, the remainder of the ship remained afloat. The ship was floated off unaided and made its way to St Margaret’s Hope under its own engine power.
Alfred went for repairs at a dry dock in Northern Ireland and returned to the route on August 5, after undergoing five weeks of repairs.
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