Freight fears grow, despite assurances
BUSINESSES and local politicians in Shetland are seeking assurances from the Scottish government about the exact details of the new six year contract for the lifeline ferry service.
Speculation is rife that preferred bidder Serco will only operate one freight vessel all year round with the second only in service for around six months.
Shipping companies and government officials are bound by a confidentiality clause and can’t speak about what is in the contract until has been signed on 15 May.
When asked whether both freighters would continue to run all year round, a Transport Scotland spokeswoman replied: “Ensuring there is sufficient provision for time sensitive freight, such as fresh fish, to get to market on time was a core requirement of the tender and the new contract will ensure that happens.”
But former chairman of Shetland transport partnership ZetTrans, Allan Wishart, said the government’s approach was “wrong” as islanders had been kept out of the loop until it was too late to change anything.
“Once the deal is signed, I very much doubt whether there is going to be much room for manoeuvre. It will be too late.
“Nobody here really knows whether there will be only one ship and for how long that might be and for what time of the year.
“There must be a better way of managing this because my fear is that people in Edinburgh just do not realise how vitally important the service to the isles is,” councillor Wishart said.
Shetland MSP Tavish Scott added that he had raised the issue several times during a meeting with Serco in Edinburgh on Tuesday, but the company was bound by the same confidentiality clause.
Karl Simpson, of fish merchant Simpson & Ward, said it was absolutely critical that fresh fish landed at Lerwick and Scalloway could be exported daily to the UK mainland and further afield.
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David Sandison, general manager of fish farming trades body Shetland Aquaculture, said he did not want to add to the speculation and was confident Serco would meet the industry’s needs.
“If what we have asked for is not delivered, we have a problem. It is very straightforward: we need enough capacity Monday to Friday to take all our fish out of the islands on a nightly basis with a 7pm sailing.
“Whether that is on a passenger ship, a freight ship or a combination thereof doesn’t matter as far as we are concerned. That’s what we have asked for,” he said.
Serco’s project director for Scottish ferries, Jonathan Riley, is expected in the isles towards the end of next week for talks with industry and the local authority.
Meanwhile, Scottish transport minister Keith Brown has confirmed that he will visit Shetland during the summer.
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