Hauliers Compete Against Steamers
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THE serious effect which increasing competition from road hauliers is having upon the MacBrayne steamer service to Skye was stressed before Mr. W. F. Quin, Scottish Licensing Authority, at Inverness last week.
Mr. J. Hutton Shields, road transport manager of David MacBrayne, Ltd., raised the matter when the company objected to an application by Mr. Angus Stewart, Uig, to carry timber direct from Glasgow to the island. Other objectors were British Railways and Highland Haulage, Ltd., Inverness.
Mr. Quin upheld the applicant's contention that he could provide a more suitable and expedient service than MacBrayne, and granted the application. He restricted it to the carriage of timber for one Glasgow concern.
It was stated by Mr. Stewart that he had been requested by Glasgow timber merchants to carry their goods to Skye by road. The timber was for the Department of Agriculture for Scotland, who had three stores on the island. The timber had to be distributed to crofters.
MacBrayne had previously been carrying the traffic by steamer, said Mr. Stewart, but following complaints by a Department official in Edinburgh about 'delays, the Glasgow concern had approached him. He alleged that there had been delays of up to eight days, whereas he could guarantee delivery in two. He could also haul timber direct to crofters.
Cross-examined by Mr. J. W. Mackintosh, for MacBrayne, Mr. Stewart agreed that there had been a diminution in the boat services to Skye. Asked if the people of Skye wished the boat service to be discontinued altogether, Mr. Stewart replied that as far as the west coast was concerned be did not think they were worried.
Mr. Shields told the Authority that MacBrayne now had road transport facilities, based at Kyle of Lochalsh, which could handle the timber traffic from there. The delays had been because the 'steamer service was overtaxed in the spring, and in November during stormy weather.
Asked if he considered that the steamer service should be continued in the interests of the Skye people he replied: "Yes, especially as the pier is being rebuilt at a cost of some 190,000."
WIDER ROAD TO THE ISLES A STRETCH of the "road to the Isles," about two miles of the route between Invergarry and Kyle of Lochalsh, is to be widened at a cost of £.80,000.