SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, has contacted CalMac this afternoon to request an urgent update following widespread disruption to ferry services in recent days. Cancellations and delays across the network have been due to a combination of adverse weather conditions and technical issues on vessels.

Shops in some islands are reporting shortages of fresh groceries as a result of the cancelled services, with no guarantee yet as to when normal service will resume on a number of routes.

According to CalMac’s latest online updates at time of writing, services between Oban, Castlebay and Lochboisdale will prioritise lifeline freight and foot passengers between today and Saturday, but that the weather forecast means that there will be no return sailings. Meanwhile, MV Hebrides, which serves Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert is out of action for technical reasons.

Commenting, after speaking with concerned constituents, Allan said:

“This is a completely unacceptable situation for our islands, and the longer we need to keep waiting for new vessels, the more detrimental the impact on island residents and businesses becomes.

“While the weather conditions are not the fault of CalMac, this situation once again calls into question the fleet’s resilience. Local shops should not be having to put up with absorbing significant financial losses as fresh produce goes to waste due to it being unable to reach its destination on time.

“Disruption on this scale represents a real threat to the livelihoods of island residents, further making the case for there to be more vessels in the Calmac fleet, and for additional ferries secured as soon as possible to act as relief vessels in situations such as this.”

 

Twitter latest

Newsletter

Subscribe to Alasdair's mailing list

By ticking this box you confirm you would like to receive updates from Alasdair Allan MSP by

You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at alasdair.allan.msp@parliament.scot. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use MailChimp as our marketing automation platform. By clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailChimp for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms.