Operators seek ferry role
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
SCOTTISH commercial vehicle operators want an advisory role in the running of Caledonian MacBrayne, the state-owned West Coast ferry company, from next month.
Both the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association, which played a strong part in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission inquiry last year into Calmac's operations, have now applied formally to serve on the three shipping services advisory committees which act as consumer watchdogs for the ferry company.
The MMC report recommended that they should serve on the committees, and although they must wait until the next meeting in September for formal acceptance, both associations plan to attend then as observers and start serving from the earliest possible date.
ETA Scottish controller Gordon Dougall said he expected to represent his members initially, but longer term policy would be to have island-based operators as nominees to the committees.
Mr Dougall added that although the FTA had pressed for privatisation of MacBrayne Haulage, Calmac's associate company, it accepted that this would not happen (CM, July 23). The ETA hopes that MacBrayne Haulage will be treated as just another operator on the island routes, as Ca lmac has promised.
The RHA's Scottish manager, Tom Brattin, said he was "cautiously optimistic" that Calmac's operations will improve. MacBrayne Haulage is an RE-IA member, so Mr Brattin's comments on it are circumspect, but he did say: "Now that Calmac has to operate at arms' length, we hope it will improve the competitiveness of MacBrayne Haulage in relation to other operators."