News / Ro pax ferry off the table
PLANS by northern isles ferry operator NorthLink to replace its aging cargo ship Clare with a combined passenger/freight vessel have been abandoned, the company said.
NorthLink had been hoping to charter or purchase the Danish ro-pax vessel Duoedde, which would have been able to carry 400 passengers, with 100 cabins on board.
The move could have allowed them to expand their business, introduce a Norway service during the summer and remove the threat of government cuts to their subsidy.
However NorthLink commercial director Cynthia Spencer said this week that they had been forced to abandon the option because it was too expensive.
“The vessel came up for sale or charter, but unfortunately the numbers are not viable particularly in the current financial climate. It’s not going to happen in the foreseeable future,” she said.
Instead the company will be replacing the Clare with the sister ship of their new freighter Hildasay, which is expected to come into service in December.
NorthLink had been expecting to face a £1 million cut in its subsidy as part of the government’s cost cutting measures, however on Monday Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson said they had done so well this year the savings were not necessary any more.
Ms Spencer told Shetland Islands Council’s external transport forum that the first six months of this year had seen an 8.1 per cent growth in business, with 13.8 per cent more visitors coming to the northern isles.
The past three months had been extremely healthy, she said, with a 22 per cent increase in visitors and 11.3 per cent growth in business.
The number of people bringing their cars on board had also risen, and freight carriage was up by 5.5 per cent during the past six months.
The family and friends promotion had also boosted income by £500,000, she said. The company intend to extend this promotion until December and is introducing other promotions to encourage people to sail on off peak evenings.
The number of group tours is also increasing, with the amount of people on each tour also growing.
Ms Spencer said the company would not release information about its financial position until the accounts were published later this year.
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