The prospect of empty shelves looms as Uist faces 30% reduction in freight capacity

With the planned closure of Uig Pier now only three months away, concerns have again been raised about how Uist will cope with the substantial reduction in its lifeline service for the six month period the pier is expected to be closed.
Draft timetables proposed by CalMac to cover the pier closure will see the Lochmaddy service diverted to Ullapool on a once daily 4.5 hour sailing leaving Lochmaddy at 05.30 and returning from Ullapoool at 15.30, with additional Lochboisdale to Mallaig sailings added to the timetable.
CalMac has stated that the contingency provision put forward will see Uist’s freight capacity reduced by one third, which will negatively impact food, materials and other urgent supplies.
Local and national elected members have raised their concerns with Scottish Government.
Cllr Uisdean Robertson, Chair of the Comhairle’s Transport & Infrastructure Committee, has written to the Minister for Transport, Jenny Gilruth stating that the Uig cover plans are unacceptable and asking for immediate action.
Cllr Robertson said: “There can be no acceptable argument for Government to agree to put in place arrangements that they know are inadequate to meet the normal winter demand for travel. Nor can the failure to understand the social and economic cost of the decisions taken around this closure be condoned.
“CalMac in their consultation on serving our communities during the closure are on record as admitting the proposed service from Lochmaddy to Ullapool will only offer sufficient capacity for two thirds of the normal freight that needs to be carried to and from Uist. This is an incredible admission.”
Alasdair Allan MSP has also raised concerns with Scottish Government, issuing the following statement: “Uist faces the unbearable reduction of a third of scheduled capacity. Much of the island’s service resilience would depend on the Lochboisdale-Mallaig route, despite merely 21 sailings being completed on this route between November 2021 and March 2022 – the corresponding period of the Uig outage last year.”
“I am very concerned that there are so many unknowns around transport arrangements and contingency so close to the planned closure of the pier. I have therefore asked the Scottish Government to consider if it is possible to delay the project works to allow more time for viable arrangements to be put in place, either until the same period in 2023-2024, or until additional tonnage can be secured.”
Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant has also called for “an urgent rethink” on the plans, stating: “It is madness to press ahead with the closure of Uig for at least six months when it is absolutely clear that no acceptable arrangements are in place to protect the islands’ economy and the basic need for people to travel between islands. I have asked the Scottish Government to reconsider the case for a temporary linkspan which I am assured is perfectly feasible but has so far been ruled out on grounds of cost. That has to be revisited in the light of what their alternative is clearly going to cost the Western Isles economy.”
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have commissioned a new socio-economic impact assessment to better understand the cost of Uist’s failing ferry service and to support the case for a more robust mitigation plan and potentially, a compensation scheme.
Cllr Robertson has proposed a potential increase in capacity, telling Am Pàipear: “As we understand it Calmac are in contact with both Pentland Ferries and Transport Scotland regarding the feasibility of chartering MV Pentalina on a bareboat basis. Well informed sources tell us that MV Pentalina needs some work done on it to get it ready for charter, and of course Transport Scotland would have to make funding available. Obviously MV Pentalina would help with the overall resilience of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services and be of benefit particularly until the new vessels enter service.”
Cllr Robertson continued: “If the Government will not agree to charter the MV Pentalina then surely the time has come for funds to be found to allow CMAL to purchase MV Arrow in the same manner that MV Helliar and MV Hildasay were purchased for the Northern Isles services. MV Arrow could then provide the overnight freight service to Stornoway releasing MV Loch Seaforth to operate a daytime service of up to three journeys each way per day.”
Should funds be found for the purchase of MV Arrow then this extra freight capacity could be opened up to Uist hauliers by operating MV Loch Bhrusda as second vessel on the Sound of Harris service in winter 2022/23.”
Cllr Robertson has also requested urgent action be taken to increase capacity on current boats, asking the Minister to: “recognise the urgency of the situation and approve the funds needed to allow CalMac to increase crew levels to reinstate the full Mezzanine deck capacity of MV Hebrides. This would be a welcome and common sense intervention that will take away some of the pain felt in Harris and Uist from the failure of Ferguson Marine to deliver vessel 802 into service until at least for Summer 2023.”
Harris Councillor Grant Fulton has set up an online petition in reference to the Harris ferry service, which at the time Am Pàipear went to print had 5300 signatures.