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ANNEX 6
EMERGENCY CALL-OUT ARRANGEMENTS
CFL provides carriage for emergency services to the islands of Raasay, Iona and Gigha. For Raasay and Gigha the CMAL ferry is the only option for emergency vehicles. To allow it to provide 24 hour emergency cover CalMac has an MCA authorisation for an exception to the Minimum Hours of Rest provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Hours of Work) Regulations 2002.
The current authorisation reads as follows:
"The MCA has considered the request for an exception in order to allow emergency sailings to Gigha, Iona and Raasay and notes the related collective agreements with the Rail & Maritime Transport Union and the Transport & General Workers Scotland Union. On the basis of this information and in exercise of the powers given in Regulation 6 of the MS (Hours of Work) Regulations 2002, the MCA has authorised an exception to the hours of rest limits in Regulation 5(1)(a) and Regulation (2) of the Regulations to provide emergency services on the terms of the collective agreements. This authorisation relates to the following routes and vessels, or any vessel operating the prescribed route:
- Tayinloan-Gigha: Loch Ranza
- Fionnphort-Iona: Loch Buie
- Sconser-Raasay: Loch Striven
The authorisation is renewable on an annual basis upon application to the Glasgow Marine office of the MCA. The authorisation ceases to be valid if any new collective agreements come into force or if there is any material change in the circumstances on which the authorisation is based.
Other islands have alternatives to the CHFS ferry for emergency services access although from time to time the CHFS ferry will be called into use for such purposes.
Under the current arrangements, whenever the CalMac ferry is called upon to provide such cover for any island (including Raasay, Iona and Gigha) the charter is charged on a marginal cost bases. Actual costs, taking into account circumstances such as time and availability of crew, may then be agreed with the relevant emergency service provider.
The Operator will be required to provide equivalent cover for the CHFS Network. Tenderers are required to demonstrate that appropriate measures will be in place.
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