Ferry services and Ardrossan Harbour upgrade: FOI release
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
FOI reference: FOI/18/01268
Date received: 8 April 2018
Date responded: 10 May 2018
Information requested
Information about the a) Arran ferry service, b) the CalMac Fleet and c) the infrastructure at Ardrossan.
Response
a) The MV Glen Sannox was launched on 21 November 2017 and is currently being outfitted at Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd Shipyard, Port Glasgow.
As regards any technical issues with the MV Glen Sannox, I can advise you that the front section of the bulbous bow required to be altered. The new section has been fabricated and will be fitted when the ship goes to dry dock. This has not caused a delay to construction. We are not aware of any other technical issues with the vessels.
b) I can advise that the Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan report for 2016 was published on 31 January 2018. This gives an overview of how existing, planned and prospective vessels could be deployed across the Clyde and Hebrides network to deliver the commitments set out in the Scottish Ferries Plan and better address forecast demand.
With regard to the procurement or chartering of other vessels, CMAL are always looking for opportunities for either chartering or purchasing suitable vessels that can be deployed on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry service or the Northern Isles ferry service networks.
c) With regard to the infrastructure improvements at Ardrossan, I can inform you that the Ministerial Task Force established by the then Transport Minister Derek Mackay and now Chaired by Humza Yousaf, the Minister for Transport and the Islands, has recently approved a preferred option for harbour work at Ardrossan. That preferred option will increase the long term resilience of the harbour and the Arran ferry service. I enclose a copy of the Transport Scotland press release issued on 10 April 2018 for ease of reference, at Annex A; which I recognise you would not have seen at the time of your email.
There have been technical problems with the vessel simulators but not at all with CalMac's Masters who have participated fully in these exercises.
The Task Force has met on several occasions and matters have been progressed. The minutes of the meetings can be found at the undernoted link:
https://www.transport.gov.scot/transport-network/ports-and-harbours/ardrossan-harbour-taskforce/
Task Force members are now working on the delivery of the preferred option for infrastructure improvements in the harbour.
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Contact
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Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
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