A SCOTTISH island council has expressed disappointment after being “excluded” from a government plan to secure seven new electric ferries.
The chair of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s transport committee said it was “disappointing” that there was no new boat for the Western Isles in phase one of the small vessels replacement programme (SVRP).
Announced by the Scottish Government on Tuesday, the first phase of the SVRP is expected to secure seven electric ferries at a cost of £175 million.
The routes served will be: Colintraive – Rhubodach (Bute); Lochaline – Fishnish (Mull); Tarbert (Loch Fyne) – Portavadie (Peninsula); Iona – Fionnphort (Mull); Sconser – Raasay (Raasay); Tobermory – Kilchoan (Mull); Tayinloan – Gigha (Gigha).
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the replacement of vessels on the seven routes listed above would have knock-on “benefits to two other routes from the redeployment of existing vessels”.
These are the Largs to Cumbrae route and the Oban to Lismore route.
Some of the £175m will also be spent on port improvements and shore power upgrades, but again, not in the Western Isles.
Councillor Uisdean Robertson, the chair of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s transport committee, said he welcomed “any move by Transport Scotland to improve the resilience of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network”.
However, he went on: “Saying this, it is difficult to be positive about an announcement that confirms that the communities of Uist and Barra will continue to be served by inadequate vessels until at least 2030.
“To allow CalMac to effectively provide a lifeline service to the communities of the Western Isles they must be provided with reliable and suitable vessels.
“It is disappointing that the Western Isles has been excluded from phase one of the programme, we will now continue dialogue with Transport Scotland to ensure that phase two of the programme is delivered as soon as possible and includes provision for routes within the Western Isles.
“In the immediate term it is vitally important that the measures recommended to Transport Scotland in the socio-economic case for change are introduced to relieve capacity constraints on the Sound of Harris and Sound of Barra routes.”
