Scots ferrie £1.6m gran]
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THE SCOTTISH Office is prov ing another £1.5m this year ferry operators, and it has solved the long running con sion over the future of the Go rock/Dunoon crossing on Clyde.
The 16.5 per cent increase subsidy means that Scott Transport Group-owned Cale nian MacBrayne will get £6.1 instead of £5.8m this year, e this should ensure that charges will not be increased fore 1983.
P&O, which operates to C ney and Shetland, is getting increase to f2.4m, and support paid to Orkney Islai Shipping, for internal servic rises from £0.85m to £1.0f. There also are miscellaneous creases for operators of ot freight services.
On the Clyde, the Governm has agreed to continue to p vide a subsidy to Cal-Mac for Gourock/Dunoon service, I only to cover the cost of hourly passenger service. company will keep its vehici. ferries on the route, and will expected to charge a comnr dal rate for them.
As a result, Western Ferr which was to have recei+ State support for its Clyde/An route, has decided to sell former Humber paddle fe which it bought to carry additional traffic it thoughi would win from Cal-Mac, an not to develop the route.
Commenting on these my\ Freight Transport Associal Scottish controller Gordon D gal told CM that time would how the commercial rates the Cal-Mac route would vio out, but it still smacked of unsatisfactory compromise.
And while Scottish Home fairs and Environment Mini: Malcolm Rifkind described increased subsidies as "ano1 stage in the fulfilment of manifesto promise to incre subsidy in real terms", Mr C gal said that it had taken mat no nearer to the adoption .road equivalent tariff.