Ferry services

This very interesting inquiry has given me a valuable insight into the daily constraints faced by islanders and I welcome our engagement with communities and the willingness with which people shared their experience.

Ferry services are of course only a means to an end. They allow islanders to go about their daily life, whether that means going to school or work, accessing health or leisure services, welcoming tourists on to the islands or exporting valuable goods off them. Ferries ensure the viability of the islands and enhance the economic and social fabric of island life.

In its evidence, the Scottish Crofting Foundation said:

"affordable reliable ferry services are probably the single most important factor in maintaining functioning economies and viable populations in the islands of Scotland."

It is clear to me that improving the reliability and responsiveness of ferries will be key to encouraging young people and families in particular to stay on or come to the islands.

There were many messages from the inquiry. We have heard some of them already, but they bear repetition. We heard about poor, unresponsive services and ageing vessels. We heard about the difficulties of winter sailings and the impacts of cancelled services, such as hospital appointments being missed, people incurring the expense of a hotel on the mainland or children not getting home from school for the weekend. All those things had significant impacts on people's daily lives.

When I visited Mallaig informally with Charlie Gordon, we heard that the timetable for services to the small isles was such that stays of an additional one or two days were often necessary in order to meet routine appointments, such as hospital appointments, on the mainland. The length of stay on the mainland could of course be even longer if poor weather meant that sailings were cancelled. All that incurs not just financial costs but social and emotional costs, which impact on family life.

The committee also heard about poor customer service, although I note that there were telling differences between CalMac and NorthLink Ferries, with NorthLink being much more responsive to customers.

Another common theme that emerged was the need for timetables to allow island residents to commute to the mainland for work. There was an overwhelming sense that ferry timetables are designed to suit operators rather than users. Relatively simple adjustments to timetables could make a big difference. The Government must tackle that. It needs to give local communities a clear role in suggesting improvements and changes and it must respond quickly and positively. I welcome what the minister said about the small adjustments to timetables that have been made.

As others have already said, there is a real disconnect between different modes of transport. I think that everyone who gave evidence to us mentioned the lack of integration between ferries and other modes of transport. Many gave examples of poor connections and missed opportunities to make travelling easier.

Although I appreciate the complexity of timetabling for ferries and trains in particular, I urge the Government to accept our recommendation that it should establish a group, under the auspices of Transport Scotland, to ensure that operators of all transport modes meet one another regularly to discuss how integration can be improved.

I was particularly concerned to learn of the lack of investment in port infrastructure-and the lack of foresight in that regard. Much more priority must be given to upgrading terminals.

I draw particular attention to the submission from ZetTrans and Shetland Islands Council on the need for capital investment in interisland routes. It is vital that the Government recognises the need to support local authorities in maintaining port and ferry services.

I could not speak in this debate without mentioning RET. We heard a range of views about RET. As Des McNulty said, it was welcomed by the communities that were involved in the pilot. I do not underestimate the economic challenges that the Western Isles face. However, the committee detected a real sense of disgruntlement from other island communities that were excluded from the pilot. Reducing ferry fares to help island economies is the right approach, but the pilot is expected to last for three years and targets only one Scottish island group. That is blatant discrimination; it is not a pilot scheme. It is perceived as nothing more than an electoral bribe. The SNP Government is, in essence, operating a permanent scheme in one part of Scotland but not in the other equally deserving island groups.

During the inquiry we heard a range of views on increasing competition and on breaking up CalMac. We have already heard a lot from Mr Johnstone on that issue. Ferry services are lifelines to some of the most remote communities in Scotland. Public subsidies were introduced, quite rightly, to protect routes that would not otherwise be commercially viable. The Scottish Government must not break up CalMac's monopoly if it would jeopardise those links. Already fragile communities must not be subjected to further uncertainty. At the risk of stating the obvious, ferries are not buses-there are not lots of ferry owners waiting in the wings to step in if something goes wrong.

I welcome the fact that the Government has now embarked on a full review. The minister has indicated some of the things that he would like to take on board. I hope that he will tackle the short-term issues that we identified, such as adjusting timetables; improving communication and co-ordination; promoting more effective consultation; and improving accessibility. In the review, the Government needs to focus on what best serves today's and tomorrow's communities.

A number of respondents remarked that ferry services are the same as they were 30 years ago and referred to:

"routes, timetables, vessels all fixed, providing an out of date service for a set of circumstances which have not prevailed for a number of years."

That needs to change.

To secure the long-term future of a ferry network that is fit for purpose in the 21st century, the Government should examine innovative proposals such as faster and more fuel-efficient vessels; significantly improved timetables; new routes and the use of fixed links; replacing and upgrading ferry vessels and port infrastructure; and making it easier for ferry operators to change services within their contracts, if those changes are designed to promote improvements and facilitate innovation.

There is a reasonable time before the contract ends-let us ensure that that time is put to good use. Whatever the review brings about, I hope that it will never lose sight of the fact that ferries are a lifeline service.