13
September 06
Ferry in harbour dispute - The Herald
Why is Orkney Islands Council preventing
Pentland Ferries
using the harbour at Burwick? The ferry company could shorten the
trip by 30 minutes from Caithness to Orkney and vice-versa. Since
its inception Pentland Ferries has slashed the cost of getting a vehicle
over the Pentland Firth. Pentland Ferries run by a local Orkney family
have received no grants or subsidies unlike the massive subsidies and
bailout given to Northlink Ferries. Pentland Ferries currently
runs between Gills In Caithness to St Margaret's Hope in Orkney but by
running into Burwick the firm could cut the running time by 30 minutes
and probably reduce fares even further. The question everyone is
asking is why is Orkney Islands Council preventing this as better ferry
services are likely to assist the populations of both Orkney and
Caithness. In 2004 the Scottish Executive gave Northlink �13.4 million
after it got into financial trouble.
6 July 06
Orkney And Shetland Ferry
Contract
The six year contract for lifeline ferry services to Orkney and Shetland
has been awarded to Northlink Ferries Ltd. The company takes over today
having been formed following the appointment of Caledonian MacBrayne,
ferry provider on the west coast of Scotland, as preferred bidder in
March.
9 April
04
North Link Ferry Services To Be Retendered As Northlink Hits Financial
Problems
The government has had to throw Northlink a lifeline to
keep the service afloat. The Scottish Executive will give the
company an extra �13.4 million including �1million for the delays in the
construction of the Scrabster pier. The late start-up of the new
ferry Hamnavoe and competition arriving from the new Pentland Ferries from
Gills have played a part in the problems for Northlink. The ferry
contract will be retendered almost immediately and would commence in 2005.
Ferry services are not affected and sailings remain as per the timetable.
The existing contract was for a five year period and has run for only 18
months. The company has three new modern vessels plus freight
vessels on the routes to Orkney and Shetland. The Hamnavoe was
tied up at Leith for 6 months awaiting the completion of work at
Scrabster. Eventually the service started before the new pier was
completed using the old pier after work was carried out to make it
possible for the ferry to berth. This together with more
competition had undermined the financial model prepared at the time of the
tender. Advertisement will appear in the press shortly for the
retendering of the contract.
5
November 03
MSP Rob Gibson Asks For North Ferry Users Group
Rob Gibson SNP MSP for Highlands and Islands has lodged a written
question with the Scottish Executive asking whether it has plans to extend
the remit of the Caledonian MacBrayne Users Committee Scotland to include
passengers on Northlink Ferries. Mr Gibson explained that the
new shipping contracts posed new questions. To whom do passengers
turn if they do not receive satisfactory answers from the company? The
Scottish Executive will have to explain. Orkney and Shetland
ferry users deserve a Users Committee, either by extending the
existing CalMac version or a new set up for the Northern Isles.
Hamnavoe Trip - Scrabster to Old Man Of Hoy
One
of a series of trips laid on for local people in Caithness and Orkney to
introduce the Hamnavoe Ferry before it commences service on the Scrabster
to Stromness route. the brand new ferry is starting ahead of the new
pier being completed and everyone onboard was delighted with the trip on a
beautiful spring day out in the Pentland Firth.
Hamnavoe At Scrabster
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