New calls to open up ferry services

THE Scottish Government is being urged to open up ferry services to private operators to safeguard sailings in the face of unprecedented public sector cuts.

Business groups are claiming that the involvement of private companies could ensure lifeline ferry links are neither cut nor lost in the wake of plans to slash 1 billion from the Scottish budget.

Suggestions include allowing the 24 subsidised routes currently operated by state-owned Caledonian MacBrayne to be tendered individually, rather than in a bundle as at present.

The business groups' comments back Western Ferries, which has been involved in a long-running spat with CalMac over ferry services.

Western operates a Gourock-Dunoon line that provides the only direct private competition to CalMac in the Clyde and Hebrides.

Lauren McNicol, policy executive with the Confederation of British Industry, said: "At present, the Scottish Government spends in the region of 106 million a year funding ferry services in Scotland.

"We encourage the Scottish Government to look seriously at the option of testing the Scottish ferries market."

Dave Duthie, partnership director with the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, said: "The key is for government to identify what configuration of service delivery results in the least overall cost to the public purse.

"Our island communities must have surety, regardless of who supplies the service, that in the event of an operator of an individual route failing to supply the service (which is by its very nature a lifeline service) the community will receive the service by other means."