This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New ferry services for Clyde and Hebrides
27/06/2002
New Clyde and Hebrides ferry services were announced today
as part of consultation on tendering the services currently
operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac).
The Executive consultation is accompanied by the draft
Invitation to Tender and includes the Service Specification.
Together they outline the Executive's plans to ensure modern
and reliable lifeline ferry services at affordable fares.
CalMac currently operates a fleet of 29 ferry vessels
providing passenger, vehicle and shipping services to the
islands off the West Coast of Scotland and in the Firth of
Clyde. The services they provide are to be put out to
competitive tender to comply with European law. All approved
services currently operated by CalMac will be maintained and
CalMac's fares are to be taken as the maximum future fares,
subject to increases in line with inflation.
New approved services will include Mallaig-Armadale winter
vehicle service, Tarbert-Portavadie winter service, Sound of
Barra service, Kilchoan-Tobermory winter passenger service and
enhanced services from Oban and across the Sound of Harris.
The Scottish Executive will create a publicly owned vessel
owning company (VesCo) to ensure efficient use of the existing
fleet and to procure new vessels. VesCo will also own CalMac's
piers and harbours and the operator will act as VesCo's agent
by managing certain harbour functions in return for management
fees.
Launching the consultation Mr Macdonald said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed to maintaining and
enhancing our lifeline ferry links. The services currently
provided by CalMac in the Hebrides and the Firth of Clyde are
vital to the economic and social well being of island and
remote mainland communities.
"Our commitment is backed with record levels of public
investment and we have already commissioned new vessels to
allow for new and enhanced services on the Sound of Barra,
Sound of Harris and islands served from Oban.
"To ensure that best value for public support is achieved
and to comply with EU rules we are today publishing draft
proposals for tendering. Following our discussions with the
European Commission the current network will be tendered as a
whole. CalMac will be allowed to compete to operate the routes
and the bid will be evaluated transparently and equally with
bids from other potential operators.
"I am pleased that the European Commission accepted our
arguments for mainland to mainland routes originally ruled out
by EC rules, and for continuing the approved passenger-only
service for Gourock-Dunoon.
"However, it is clear that we must comply with EC rules that
prevent subsidies for a vehicle service on this route, as there
is an unsubsidised commercial operator running a vehicle
service. By connecting Dunoon town centre and the Gourock
railhead the approved passenger-only service will provide an
integrated network of public transport solutions.
"The new approved services I am announcing today help to
fulfil the commitment we made in our Transport Delivery Report
to address missing links in Scotland's transport network."
Copies of the documents will be sent to relevant local
authorities, SPT, transport organisations, harbour authorities,
relevant Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Enterprise and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise, MSPs, MPs, MEPs, Caledonian
MacBrayne, Shipping Services Advisory Committees and a number
of other operators and organisations.
The consultation period will close on 27 September 2002. It
is planned that the tendering process will be completed in
early 2004, with contract handover later that year although
this will depend on progress with restructuring CalMac.
A Prior Information Notice will be published in the Official
Journal of the European Commission to alert operators to
proposals and to ensure that they can participate in the
consultative process.
All the services included in the tendering proposals are
deemed to be of a lifeline nature and require Government
support to keep them in operation.
EC guidelines (97/C205/05) define a Public Service
Obligation as "any obligation imposed upon a carrier to ensure
the provision of a service satisfying fixed standards of
continuity, regularity, capacity and pricing, which standards
the carrier would not assume if it were solely considering its
economic interest".
On 27 April 2000 Scottish Ministers announced the
publication of the consultation paper 'Delivering Lifeline
Ferry Services - Meeting European Union Requirements'. This
explained that the Scottish Executive would be amending the
current arrangements in the light of EC requirements and sought
views on options for tendering ferry services in line with EU
rules. After considering the responses the Executive submitted,
the Commission cleared the way last Novemebr for the ferry
network to be put out to tender as one single
bundle.