I READ with interest but little surprise your article ("Soaring cost of ferries sparks call for greater scrutiny on spending", The Herald, October 19) regarding the increasing cost of ferry services provided by Caledonian MacBrayne/Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) and list below a few possible causes for this overspend:
* Opaque and questionable tendering processes for the provision of services and the construction of vessels with undue and unhelpful influence from the RMT.
* A Scottish Government determined to appear bountiful during its drive to independence no matter the long-term implications of the expenditure.
* Ruinously expensive capital projects such as the construction of MV Loch Seaforth when two smaller vessels would have provided a more flexible service at lower cost in terms of both construction and crewing.
* A cosy and uncritical relationship between Transport Scotland's Ferries Unit and its only significant client .
* Dabbling in alternative technology at significant extra cost to the public purse. In particular, building the MV Lochinvar and MV Catriona at a price approximately double that of conventional vessels .
At a time when our public services are in dire need of investment it seems incredible that Caledonian MacBrayne and CMAL are allowed to sail on, unchallenged, on an ever-expanding sea of public money.
Gavin Fulton,
Highcroft, Lamlash, Isle of Arran.
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