Scotland ferries crisis hurting tourism and whisky trade

Ferries are a vital lifeline for Scotland's island communities. But a failure to replace the national operator CalMac's ageing fleet has caused major disruption for islanders - harming tourism and the valuable whisky trade.

Two new ferries are so delayed and over budget that today, the boss of the state-owned shipyard tasked with building them was sacked. And other new ferries are being built in Turkey.

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[ilovelimpfries]

Wait, did I hear that right? The Turkish built ferries are on time and on budget, while the scottish ones cost 4 times from the original budget and yet to be completed?!! I don't actually mind that much if they cost 4 times more, it were built 4 times faster, but the turkish ones are due in October while FM still haven't delivered theirs despite started building them earlier!! Infuriating.

[thedangler]

The SNP shouldn't be allowed to run a tap without guidance, they have been showed incompetence beyond belief. 
Why has no one in the SNP been sacked for this ?

[dredfell]

Maintenance tends to help too… so many companies (whether privately or publicly run) tend to want to skimp out on Maintenance costs of existing fleets of any vehicle type and when their vehicles stop running as well as they should, it’s a case of blame everyone else for a lack of investment instead!

[iansinclair]

Time to get rid of the SNP. This was Yousless’s first fail. Which idiot decided they had to be dual fuel?

[tommay]

SNP don’t care. Blame on Westminster and their followers believe

[edcoad]

Like NZ ferries between islands. Failure to invest, upgrade, and generally squeeze every ounce of short-sighted profit.

[stevehorner]

SNP STILL TRYING TO DEFLECT & BLAME SOMEONE ELSE< WILL NOT ACCEPT BLAME, THEY A DISGRACE

[davidadams]

I'm glad to know its not just England where nothing works

[rapunzel]

Clearly, the Scottish shipbuilders weren't diverse enough.

[johnsim]

Typical SNP MSP - starting to attack the questioner rather than answering. And of course, the SNP never take responsibility. It's always someone else's fault.

[fnqwyky]

"The windows had been painted on"... I'm confused.

[breebw]

Think outside the Box. In New Zealand, when the ferry became unreliable, a Truck Company bought their own boat. And said others could could book space too.

[tdmedia]

Somehow it will be the torries fault 😅

[cullypettigrew]

SNP greens are duds. Couldn't run a penny farthing let alone Scotland.

[DerekWalsh-li]

The ferries are just a small part of the SNPs role in destroying tourism. They are even now closing Tourist Information Centres across the whole of Scotland because, to them, tourists are a pain to be tolerated, not visitors to be welcomed.

[ingonowack]

Ferries build abroad, while workers in domestic shipyards or wherever are suffering and the managers, owners and shareholders still being able to raise their own income in infamous robber barony ways?
Put those terrible ways to the necessary end worldwide!

[harryhill-esjk]

Am wait for the snp to o blame Westminster

[johnrussell]

Scotland wanted to be patriotic so gave orders to Scottish ship building.
They could have all ferries replaced on time, by going abroad.

[AlVlogs]

The announcement of Fergusons building the ferries was timed to coincide with the SNP conference and despite reservations by professionals as to the design and the fact that Fergusons had been given an unfair commercial advantage as to the tender process as usual the SNP knew best.

[MikeH]

Each ferry being built by FM has so far each cost £150 million and counting, yet for insurance purposes each is valued at £77 million. It will be a foolish client who commissions FM to build any future vessels.