Hans J Marter

15 August, 2007

THE SCOTTISH Executive has rejected an approach by ferry operator NorthLink to replace their freight boat Clare with a new and more reliable vessel, it emerged yesterday (Tuesday).

The news comes a day after the executive announced plans to look into cheaper ferry fares by applying a Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) on Scottish ferry routes.

Pilot studies are to be carried out on number of shorter west coast routes, but doubts have already been voiced if RET would be of benefit for the 200 mile crossing between Aberdeen and Lerwick.

Yesterday the executive confirmed that NorthLink had been looking into improving its northern isles service by replacing the freight vessel Clare, which is having problems coping with the severe winter weather.

But according to an executive spokesman any alternative vessel would have cost more than £1 million extra annually and government officials were not convinced that service reliability would have been improved.

A statement issued by the executive yesterday afternoon said: "NorthLink suggested to us that an alternative to the MV Clare might provide greater reliability in adverse weather.

"However this would cost over £1 million a year in additional subsidy costs and NorthLink could provide no absolute guarantee that the proposal would in fact improve reliability.

"Without such a guarantee, it was simply impossible to justify the costs to the taxpayer.

"The executive has not ruled out the option of future funding for an alternative vessel, but only if the benefits can be more clearly justified."

NorthLink management were approached yesterday but a spokesman said they would prefer not to comment.

Local MSP Tavish Scott said the new SNP administration was discriminating against the northern isles with the RET pilot scheme and the treatment of NorthLink.

IN May's election the SNP won the Western Isles seat from Labour and Argyll and Bute from the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Scott said: "NorthLink wanted to address last winter's problems of delayed and missed freight sailings by replacing one of their freight ferries with a newer vessel better able to cope with winter seas.

"So while ministers propose to fund early fare-cutting moves on the Western Isles routes, they are not prepared to fund sensible plans from NorthLink; plans developed by NorthLink, with the support of industry and freight businesses in Shetland, to allow them to address real shortcomings in their lifeline freight service to Shetland."

The LibDem MSP added that he was now seeking a meeting with finance secretary John Swinney to discuss the issue along with options to include Shetland' s internal and external ferry links in the RET pilot study.