Chartering new ferries could be an option to fix the “mess” facing islanders if Scottish Labour wins next week’s election, the party’s leader has said.
Anas Sarwar spoke to journalists on Thursday in Edinburgh as he launched his plan for 100 days of a Scottish Labour government.
One of the points raised in the plan is to avert a “summer ferry crisis” on Scotland’s west coast as the network continues to struggle as a result of technical issues plaguing the ageing fleet.
Speaking to the Press Association, the Labour leader said he would not rule out paying for and drafting in more vessels to support island communities.
“We can’t automatically fix the ferry fiasco that’s built up over the last 20 years of this SNP Government, but we can get to work to sort the problems out in the here and now,” Mr Sarwar said.
“So I will look at every option, whether that includes chartering – whatever it takes.
“I want our island communities to be properly served, because yes, this is a story of SNP incompetence and financial mismanagement when we sit in that Parliament across the road.
“But for island communities, it’s missed hospital appointments, it’s inability to get their goods off the islands, meaning an impact on their trade, it means a lack of tourists going on to the island, meaning a disproportionate impact on their retail, hospitality and hotel sector.
“And it’s lost livelihoods and lost opportunities, so I want to fix that mess.”
A new ferries agency, which would combine bodies already looking after the network, such as operator CalMac and procurement arm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), would put “islanders at the heart” of decision making.
In recent years, the Scottish Government has spent millions of pounds on the charter of the MV Alfred, which has filled the gap for the route to the Isle of Arran yet to be filled by the Glen Rosa, which is still being built at the publicly owned Ferguson Marine shipyard at Port Glasgow, Inverclyde.
The ferry is due to be handed over later this year, meaning it could be 2027 before it carries passengers from Troon to Brodick.