The Ferries Fiasco Increasingly Hitting Communities

30th March 2023

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant expressed her fury at the new minister for Transport Kevin Stewart following an intense round of questioning in Holyrood today (30 March 2023).

MSPs from across the chamber clamoured to secure answers to the ongoing ferry debacle, which this week has resulted in a domino effect that leaves Lochboisdale with no mainland connection for six weeks, the Small Isles with a single weekly connection and a mitigation policy which places a cancellation hierarchy on those requiring transport.

Mrs Grant said: " It is unacceptable that there will be no ferries from Lochboisdale for six weeks. Uist has already borne
the brunt of recent disruption.

“The mitigations put in place mean the small isles are also left with only one ferry a week - again absolutely unacceptable.

“Disruption is now so common that the Scottish Government have devised a "Disruption Management Traffic Prioritization Framework", a framework that can cancel bookings and relegates hauliers
to the end of the queue, making their businesses and those depending on them unviable.

“Can I ask if he will procure a freight ferry to bring into service at these times and what assistance, and compensation, will be made to those impacted, or is he just another in a long
line of failed transport Ministers?”

But the newly anointed minister, who has previously presided over Local Government and Mental Wellbeing and Social Care which have both seen unprecedented cuts under the SNP Government, refused to provide comfort to the beleaguered communities affected.

Instead a defensive Mr Stewart, refused to take responsibility for resourcing the transport services or any compensation payments for local businesses being ground down by infrastructure failures. He attempted to pass the buck to Cal Mac, the route operator saying he would “ensure that Cal Mac does the job that they need to do.”

Following the exchange Mrs Grant said "A Government that does not take responsibility for governing, or for its mistakes, is not a Government that can make better choices moving forward. Mr Stewart may not have been transport minister for very long, but whether he likes it or not this is a crisis of his own Government's creation. One which will not allow him to put his feet on his desk and lollygag his way through his first few days.

“To try and say that these choices are entirely on Cal Mac is an abhorrent rejection of responsibility.

“Along with the rest of us Cal Mac has been saying for years that it needs infrastructure and vessels to be able to continue to provide services. Provision of these things is the Government’s responsibility not Cal Mac’s. Now, guess what? They’ve run out of boats, just as Cal Mac warned they would for over five years now, and when asked how he was going to fix the situation Mr Stewart said he’s “urge” Cal Mac to do their jobs?

“How are they supposed to do that if they haven’t been given the boats to do so?”

Mrs Grant added, “This is beyond frustration for the communities being run into the ground by the Government. This is a catastrophe that goes beyond politics and I am deeply worried that Mr Stewart has no genuine concern for solving this – only passing the blame.”