Council / ‘A solution needs to be found now’ – tour operator expresses frustration with inter-island ferry service
A LOCAL tour operator is calling on Shetland Islands Council to try harder to urgently put measures in place to prevent regular disruption on the ferry services to Unst and Yell.
Jolene Garriock of Island Vista said Friday’s announcement of further disruption on the Yell Sound service this coming week would potentially put some of her tours in jeopardy and undermine the viability of local businesses.
In a letter to the isles’ Lib Dems parliamentarians Alistair Carmichael and Bertice Wishart, the council’s chair of the transport and environment committee Moraig Lyall and the authority’s chief executive Maggie Sandison, Garriock said she had “finally decided” to express her concerns.
Shetland News was sent a copy of the letter.
Garriock explained how Island Vista, one of the largest tour operating firms in the isles, will operate 21 tours of different sizes to Unst and Yell this year, which all depend on a reliable and bookable ferry service.
On Friday, the SIC announced that due to “long term sickness and no available certificated cover” there would be a shuttle service with bookings suspended for most of the day on Thursday and Friday.
It comes after similar disruption on Bluemull Sound a couple of weeks ago, which was minimised somewhat after a ferry worker made themselves available for a shift.
However similar disruption has happened on the North Isles’ ferry services in the past in recent years too.
SIC warns of disruption to Yell Sound ferry service next week
Garriock said she was due to have a coach tour with 30 UK guests visiting Yell and Unst on Friday which she now was contemplating to cancel.
“The announcement that has come regarding the ferry issues on Thursday and Friday next week is bad news for our group,” she said.
“Suspending the booking system is just nonsense and unhelpful. I can work the itinerary around a single vessel timetable but not being able to book leaves me in a difficult position.”
However, on Sunday the council announced in a Facebook post that the situation had changed again, and the Yell Sound service would now operate to a normal timetable for most of Friday with existing bookings remaining valid.
The change may help Garriock and her planning in the short term, but the principal concern raised in her letter remain the same.
She wrote: “This situation has dragged on for a while now and to all appearances, looks like very little has been done about it.
“While I realise tunnels are a long way off, a solution needs to be found now.
“I already have several bookings for next year, 10 of which would include a visit to Yell and Unst. While I would be devastated to stop taking tours to there, it may well be that I’m left with no choice.
“We can’t run the risk on having groups stranded on one of the islands, sitting and waiting in ferry terminal queues and missing out on opportunities, which had been promised to them.
“I really hope something can be put in place soon to overcome this problem.”
Shetland Islands Council has apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Speaking at the end of June regarding recent disruption on Bluemull Sound, SIC environment and transport committee chair Moraig Lyall said there were “limited numbers of people are signed off to operate the ferries and nationally there is a shortage a qualified masters”.
She added at the time that “we’re working with management to look at possible ways to prevent this occurring and minimise impacts”.
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