Transport / Industries propose two extra daytime passenger sailings during livestock season
THE SEAFOOD industry and hauliers have suggested two additional daytime passenger sailings on the Lerwick-Aberdeen NorthLink service during the livestock season in September to alleviate freight capacity concerns.
The Stewart Building Transport Group, which represents the sectors, wrote to Transport Scotland with the suggestion following a meeting with the government agency and Serco NorthLink Ferries at the end of June.
The group feels that additional daytime sailings in September could take pressure off the busy freight service.
It comes after councillor Ryan Thomson suggested Transport Scotland could alter its timetable to offer a mix of daytime and evening sailings – while adding in extra trips during peak periods.
This, however, provoked the ire of Seafood Shetland chief executive Ruth Henderson, who does not want to see evening sailings cut back.
Both Thomson and the Stewart Building Group’s suggestions are under consideration by Transport Scotland and Serco NorthLink Ferries.
Capacity on the two-vessel freight service has been a long-standing issue for Shetland industry, and it its worst it has been trailers of fish being left on the Lerwick quayside.
There is also recurring issues with cabin space on the passenger ferries.
Speaking about the group’s suggestion to Transport Scotland, Henderson said: “We proposed that the most practical, financially viable, and achievable solution was the introduction of a daytime sailing of the passenger vessel on a Monday and Tuesday (foregoing the Orkney call).
“What we are looking for is that the vessels arriving at 7am in both Lerwick and Aberdeen are turned around for a 9am departure, arriving at 7pm, which brings them back on station for sailing again that evening; accepting that the operator may have more preferred timings.
“Our proposal was for a four-week period in September – primarily to carry passenger traffic (cars), empty trailers, and livestock cassettes – which would, undoubtedly, deliver a significant easing to the extreme pressure which is faced by hauliers and other parties across the week.”
Henderson said evening sailings are “essential to accommodate fish landings, seafood processing, packing, and timely onward transportation”.
She added that the entire seafood industry in Shetland is reliant on this core evening service and “any proposal to deviate from it will have a serious impact on Shetland’s key industry”.
Henderson continued: “We would highlight the fact that the peak livestock shipping season (when there is no freight vessel in Lerwick on a Monday or Tuesday night), with its substantial impact on the service, is imminent and consequently we seek a practical solution with some urgency.
“We know that such urgent solutions can be found, as recently demonstrated when an additional sailing was added to the Scrabster – Stromness schedule to accommodate passengers diverted from the Pentland Ferries service.
“This does not, of course, address the wider capacity issue on the route, for which we seek a longer term solution.”
Transport Scotland is looking to replace the existing Helliar and Hildasay freight vessels with ships featuring extra passenger cabins, but it has been reported that the initial 2026 timescale for delivery is to be pushed back.
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