Scots boom in prospect
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by Karen Miles • A boom time for the Scottish haulage industry is predicted as the Government begins a review of the shipping industry serving the Western Isles, Hauliers could gain at least 100,000 tonnes a year in Scotland if ferry firm Glenlight Shipping is forced to close next year, says the shipper.
The extra traffic would result from any switch from Glenlight's larger ships—which carry volume freight up from Scottish ports to the Western Isles—to another company's smaller ferries served by trucks. Road journeys would run north to south on the mainland and hauliers would carry all supplies for all the islands of the Outer Hebrides, Skye and Mull.
Extra tonnage could also fall to hauliers in the New Year because longer mainland journeys could be boosted by an expanding timber industry on the islands, Glenlight says.
The company is asking the Government to cover its losses on its services to the Western Isles— £300,000 last year.
The move comes within days of the appointment of management consultants to study privatisation options for Caledonian MacBrayne.
State-owned shipping company CalMac has the monopoly on all its routes to 23 west coast islands and last year carried 111,000 commercial vehicles. It receives an operating subsidy.