News / Government defends ferry decision
THE SCOTTISH government yesterday (Wednesday) pledged to consult with local communities on possibly radical changes to NorthLink’s winter service to the northern isles.
The move comes after the government dropped a bombshell on the isles on Tuesday when transport minister Stewart Stevenson imposed fuel saving changes to the current timetable without any prior warning.
Islanders yesterday said they were outraged by the treatment they had received from ministers.
The minister ruled that NorthLink’s two ferries Hrossey and Hjaltland are to run on two engines rather than four, thereby saving fuel and adding an extra hour to the 14 hour trip between Lerwick, Kirkwall and Aberdeen.
They also want to find “further efficiencies”, and may be looking at removing one of the ferries from the service during the winter.
The government defended its actions by saying that these changes were needed to protect the overall ferry service.
It is understood that ministers wanted the changes to come in as of the beginning of April, but NorthLink persuaded them to delay it for one month.
A government spokeswoman said yesterday she wanted to make it clear that “officials from the government will certainly be consulting on any changes to the winter service and will be looking to meet ZetTrans and Hitrans at an early opportunity to start discussions.”
But defending the minister’s action, she added: “The contract allows Scottish ministers to vary the approved ferry services at any time.
“While consultation is an important element in establishing the needs of the local communities served by the ferry services, on this occasion Scottish ministers had to make a number of difficult decisions in order to protect the overall level of service provision within the current challenging financial constraints.
“NorthLink Ferries is now in discussion with key stakeholders in Shetland to agree a revised timetable.”
Chairwoman of Shetland’s transport partnership ZetTrans, Iris Hawkins, said yesterday that meetings with the Scottish government were in the process of being drawn up, adding that she had the hope that some concessions could still be reached at “the 11th hour”.
She added that the lack of consultation on this issue did not bode well for the forthcoming tendering process on the lifeline ferry service when the current contract runs out in 2012.
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