The recent dire frequency of sailings on the Stornoway to Ullapool route is being put onto the agenda of the next meeting of the Ferry Users’ Group on the 11th March.
The move by the comhairle comes after mounting concerns about the number of cancelled sailings in recent weeks, the impact on the travelling public and commercial trade and the capacity of replacement vehicles and future services.
Comhairle leader Angus Campbell confirmed the concern among hauliers and the public at the number of cancellations there have been recently and now the loss, once again, of the Isle of Lewis, having just returned to service.
He said: “I have asked that we discuss this with representatives of Caledonian MacBrayne at the next meeting of the Ferry Users’ Group which is meeting in Stornoway next month.
“We will also wish to raise the issue of capacity on future services and timetabling of the new service. It is important for the public and businesses that we have maximum flexibility available through the new timetable but also adequate back up in the event of vessel failure.”
About time something was done about our expensive,pathetic, unreliable ferry services.
Better than posing semi-nude in the local rag as some of our vainer councillors did this week. I hear the local shops have run out of copies as elderly wives buy them up faster than they used to buy the defunct News of the World, on Mondays of course!
I have fallen in love with the wee fellow posing valiantly at the front, my wife is getting worried!
It has now become more than just a joke that if there is any hint of high winds that the ferry will not sail.
Ever since ex Captain Macleod voiced his opinion that a ferry crossing was unsafe (his view) it now appears that Skippers now will not sail in the eventuality of any bad forecast.
These days one just can not expect to plan a journey, knowing that they most likely will be delayed not only at Stornoway but at Ullapool also.
Is it the travelling public that wants this ? Gone are the days when one had to rush to CATCH the ferry, now its a case of “are you sailing today”!!
You are right to complain about the deterioration in ferry services, but it is not just Stornoway that suffers, all the islands are now feeling the effects of the SNP transport policies.
In 2007 a faux “RET” was introduced amid much fan- fare, and now we are feeling the effects because the SNP have paid for it all by reducing the quality of our services, cutting routine maintenance resulting in frequent breakdowns, given a nod and a wink to the company to cancel sailings on any excuse, ordered a vessel in a foreign yard to replace your broken down one- a vessel seriously behind delivery and inadequate to meet demand on the route before it even begins service.
If any other shade of government was in charge of this shambles the MP, MSP, not to mention the voluble Manford, would be jumping up and down and foaming at the mouth.
Now they have nobody to blame but themselves.
@Monkey: well said. Sadly, never a truer word has been said.