THE council whose area covers many of the islands hit by major disruption caused by Scotland's ageing ferry fleet has backed calls for a dedicated transport secretary with a place around the Scottish Government cabinet table.
The call by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, whose council members are largely independents, comes after transport minister Kevin Stewart decided to call a halt to his time last week due to ill health - amidst continuing concerns over the state of Scotland's lifeline ferry services being run by ageing vessels as well as criticism over the amount of investment in the roads network.
It also comes as CalMac chief executive pays a visit to South Uist on two days of meetings with island business and community leaders who are angry at a decision to cancel sailings to the end of June.
It follows a public demonstration involving hundreds in protest at being cut off from the mainland for more than a month during the peak holiday season.
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Islanders complained of feeling "forgotten, abandoned and ignored", while business leaders are angry about the lack of compensation from the Scottish Government to make up for the loss of income during peak holiday season.
An estimated 500 residents, 200 cars, 40 vans and 20 lorries converged on Lochboisdale - the port which links South Uist to the mainland - to protest about the decision.
The MV Lord of the Isles, which runs between Mallaig and Lochboisdale, has been redeployed to Islay after there were issues with ferry breakdowns to the ageing fleet.
Uisdean Robertson, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's chairman of transportation and infrastructure said the next transport appointment should be made at cabinet level to recognise the critical role of transport in supporting our society.
He said: “We in the islands know only too well how central our connectivity is to the sustainability of our communities.
READ MORE: CalMac chief 'can't get car on ferry' on route to meet angry islanders
"The recent parlous state in which our ferry services have been left underlines this and shows that we need to show serious leadership in securing and improving our transport networks.
"Transport should not be a junior ministerial portfolio instead the next minister should be appointed at cabinet level and be given every support by the rest of the Government to ensure the portfolio is properly funded especially our ferry services.”
Any new appointment made by First Minister Humza Yousaf will usher in a fourth face at the transport bridge since January 2022.
There was an ipso facto transport secretary until Nicola Sturgeon's SNP formed a new Scottish Government in May 2021.
Michael Matheson had been cabinet secretary of transport, infrastructure and connectivity from 2018 before the role was retitled, post-election.
After the SNP and Scottish Greens entered a power-sharing arrangement, Mr Matheson became Net Zero, Energy and Transport Secretary, while Mr Dey became the real face of transport with a new ministerial appointment.
Mr Matheson was shuffled off to health at the end of March this year when Mr Yousaf appointed his cabinet.
His replacement Màiri McAllan joined the cabinet for the first time with a new title of net zero and just transition secretary.
While 'transport' was omitted from her title, it was she who faced up to MSPs on Tuesday about the South Uist ferry debacle in Mr Stewart's place.
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