Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 20 April 2022
The transport minister was recently in my constituency to hear about the challenges that different communities face on the ferries front. I know that her visit was appreciated, and the meeting that I chaired in Tarbert, Harris was certainly a productive one.?
That island—Harris—and North Uist share a ferry, with services between Tarbert, Lochmaddy and Uig in Skye forming the so-called Uig triangle—a route for which vessel 802 is intended. The investment that the Scottish Government has put into rebuilding both Tarbert and Uig as harbours in recent years is very significant. That inevitably means that, later this year, Uig will be closed for some months.
Harris, of course, has a land border with Lewis. I have registered my concerns already about what will happen if, during the period when the Uig to Tarbert service is out of action, we try to squeeze all the Tarbert traffic on to the existing service from Stornoway to Ullapool. That would mean that a population of 20,000 people would be entirely dependent on a single, fallible?vessel for several months. No other population even approaching that size is in a similar position on any other CalMac route. I struggle to see how that is viable, unless CalMac can allocate more capacity to the Stornoway route during that period. ?
All of that brings us to the urgency of finding new additional tonnage, whether through charter or purchase, and I again make the case for that option to be pursued. I know that the minister and her predecessor have been active on that front.
The acquisition of the MV Loch Frisa from Norway will directly benefit my constituents, as MV Lord of the Isles will be freed up to deliver additional services to South Uist. The entire network will also benefit from the increased resilience that an additional vessel affords. In addition, the Scottish Government has undertaken a number of short-term charters of the MV Arrow to enhance freight capacity on the Stornoway to Ullapool route. Although I know that it may not be an option to purchase that particular vessel, I again make the case, because there is a strong case to be made, for Stornoway to permanently host a freight vessel.
In the longer term, it is my belief that North Uist and Harris require a vessel each during the busy summer months. At present, those routes, along with several others in my constituency, run at virtually full capacity for the entire tourist season, making it difficult for anyone living on the islands to book their car on to a ferry for weeks on end. Prior to the introduction of the MV Loch Seaforth at Stornoway, those routes actually carried more cars than the Stornoway to Ullapool route. I have no doubt that the introduction of vessel 802 will see a similar increase in traffic, although it is only with separate vessels that each community will be able to have the capacity and resilience that they each deserve.
The recent orders for replacement vessels for Islay are very welcome. In the short term, however, and particularly in the context of the new Clyde and Hebrides ferry services contract, we need to have a serious discussion about how to ensure that islanders have something nearer a level playing field with tourists when it comes to booking tickets. At present, in summer, the playing field slopes away from island customers at an even sharper angle than that of the famous pitch at the Eriskay football club.
Although it is questionable whether the motion before us is actually motivated by any such practical concerns as those that I have outlined, the debate provides an opportunity for island MSPs to talk about the real, and very urgent, needs of their communities.
17:12