Orkney ferries call for lifeline funding as virus hits

The ferries that connect Orkney’s island communities face being tied up unless they get emergency funding. They are said to be losing £200,000 a month, council chiefs have warned.

The Hoy ferry from Houghton on Mainland Orkney

The publicly owned ferries cost £7m a year to run and are funded by Orkney Islands Council and the Scottish Government, with Holyrood contributing £5m of the annual total. But the council want the government to pick up the whole bill – with their plight increasing because of lockdown. Nine ferries operate between Orkney mainland and 13 islands.

Now the board of Orkney Ferries has made a direct appeal to the Scottish Government for emergency funding to offset the damaging impact on the company of the pandemic.

Councillor David Dawson said the company, which provides Orkney’s inter-island ferry service is struggling to survive a major drop in income since lockdown.

In an open letter to the Scottish Government, sent to Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, the board asks for financial support similar to that provided for other ferry and transport companies.

Councillor Dawson said: “The pandemic has had a damaging and very likely long-term impact on Orkney Ferries. We urgently need support from the Government for a service that is a lifeline for our most vulnerable and remote communities. The need for social distancing while essential has massively reduced the number of passengers we can carry and this has had a major impact on the company’s income.”

Councillor Dawson said an appeal for support has already been initially turned down by the Government. Orkney Islands Council has received £16.123m ferry funding from the government over the last three years.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said:“Local authorities are wholly responsible for their own internal ferry services, but we understand the significant financial challenges they can face.”