A ferry reshuffle will leave Mull with a reduced vehicle capacity to provide an essential service to islanders in the Skye, Uist, Harris triangle.
CalMac has announced that the MV Isle of Mull, by far the largest ferry that serves the Oban to Craignure route, will be taken to the Western Isles to fill in for the MV Hebrides on routes between Uig, Lochmaddy and Tarbert.
Islanders on Mull say this will hit business and islanders in the busiest week of the year.
Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, announced the decision today.
He said: “We have made every effort to ensure customers booked on MV Hebrides have been able to travel this week where possible.
“However, we have reached the point today where we must make further changes.
“In order to reinstate sailings on the Skye Triangle routes from tomorrow, Friday, it has become necessary to redeploy some vessels from other routes to help support services in the Western Isles area.
“The MV Lord of the Isles, which was providing additional sailings to the Western Isles, is now out of crew hours, so we now need an alternative solution.”
He said: “Therefore, the MV Isle of Mull will move from Mull to Lochmaddy this afternoon, while her sailings between Oban and Craignure will be taken over by MV Coruisk.”
The number of sailings on the MV Loch Frisa be increased in the meantime, and a shuttle service will run between Lochaline and Fishnish.
Mr Drummond continued: “Moving vessels around is not ideal but without any spare tonnage to use during disruption, it is often the only available option we have to continue to operate lifeline services. I can assure customers that we have looked at all possible alternative options before coming to this decision.
“I am deeply sorry about the effect that the loss of MV Hebrides has had on our passengers and communities.”
‘Huge capacity reduction’
Joe Reade, the chairman of Mull and Iona Ferry Committee said: “This will result in a huge capacity reduction – both cars and foot passengers – in the busiest week of the year.
“This will have a hugely damaging and disruptive impact on Muileachs and Mull businesses in the busiest week of the year.
“We are very concerned that this is a demonstration of what having the Loch Frisa as our ‘core’ vessel will mean. Is the main Mull vessel now the fleet spare?”
Investment urgently required
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar welcomed the re-deployment of MV Isle of Mull.
A spokesman said the communities of Harris and Uist suffered a net loss of capacity of 2,000 car spaces in the three days when MV Hebrides was out of service, causing severe impacts for island businesses and islander travel.
Councillor Uisdean Robertson, chairman of transportation and infrastructure committee, said: “It was a great relief to hear that MV Isle of Mull will be redeployed to cover for MV Hebrides while repairs to our vessel continue in Greenock.
“We recognise that the cost of this redeployment is a loss of capacity on routes to Mull and Skye and we are grateful to those communities for the understanding they have shown.
He added: “This underlines the urgent need for investment in the ferry fleet to ensure that reliability is improved and to avoid the impact always being passed on to others.”
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