Ferry disruption due to failure to invest in fleet, says CalMac boss

CalMac says the current disruption to its services is down to a failure to invest in new ferries for too long.

Four of its large vessels remain out of service, with five smaller ones also sidelined, leading to cancellations and reduced capacity.

At one point this week, almost a third of the entire fleet was unavailable, either due to technical issues or planned maintenance, but the ferry operator says the situation is looking brighter.

Speaking to STV News, CalMac CEO Duncan Mackison said they are paying the price for a lack of investment over previous years.

“I think it’s clearly understood that everything that’s been taking place ultimately is a function of some of our vessels being too old and needing to be replaced”, he said.

“And I think the system that replaces the vessels probably now understands that that needs to happen on a regular basis. As long as we get those vessels, and we’ve got a good number coming up, then we should be okay in the future.

“I think what’s transpiring now is what happens when these things are left for a long period of time.”

The 37-year-old MV Lord of the Isles is one of CalMac’s large ferries that is currently sidelined because of technical problems. It had been due to return to service this week before crews identified an issue with one of its engines legs in the main port engine.

The leg is being replaced with one from the Hebridean Isles, which was taken out of service last year.

It is just part of the jigsaw puzzle the ferry operator is having to deal with right now to fill in the gaps.

The new Islay ferry has been redeployed to Barra, while the Alfred has moved from Arran to Islay, and now the Glen Sannox is back in service.

Despite the ongoing disruption, Mr Mackison has reassured customers that the situation is improving.

“It’s not perfect by any means everywhere yet, but we are in a better position than we were a few days ago”, he added.

“There are still a few places which are more exposed than we would like. In particular, South Uist and Mull, but we’re really appreciative of the support that we’re getting from those communities.

“We tried to get through the holiday weekend, so we didn’t have too big an impact on some of the islands.

“We came up with a stabilisation plan and then, as of yesterday, we’re now just starting to make changes again to adjust, really, through until April 17. And that’s the horizon that we’re looking at the moment.”

Moving forward, the state-owned ferry operator plans to focus on bringing new vessels in and reducing the average age of its fleet.

Mr Mackison explained: “There are new vessels on the way, as you know. But vessels take a long time to order, design, and get in. So I think this is a lesson for something that probably should have happened many years ago, in terms of when vessels are ordered and having a steady pipeline of them into service.

“As long as we’re getting new vessels and the average age of our fleet is coming down, then things will get better.

“Over the next year, we will have had four new vessels into the fleet. That will have a material positive impact on our reliability and reduce disruption. So I’m very hopeful that’s going to be the case.”