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Caledonian MacBrayne's troubled Gourock - Dunoon service
Ministers are set to appeal to the European Commission over Caledonian MacBrayne troubled service to negotiate flexibility on subsidy regulations imposed on the service.
Meanwhile, the European Transport Commissioner has been invited to Scotland to visit those communities who depend on the ferry services which are being put out to tender.
The Gourock/Dunoon initiative follows a meeting in Edinburgh on Thursday convened by Tavish Scott, the Transport Minister. He had invited politicians and interested parties to discuss the future of the service.
The meeting followed the failed tendering of the Gourock - Dunoon route which is currently not receiving any subsidies. The route attracted no bids from Caledonian MacBrayne itself due to receiving A £2.5m loss on the service last year; or from other operators in particular Western Ferries who is Caledonian MacBraynes biggest competitor.
Following the Edinburgh meeting Mr Scott said: "Today's discussions will be helpful in our ongoing discussions with the European Commission and I am grateful to the people who took the time to come to Edinburgh today. It has been announced that a new approach is to be discussed with the European Commission for the route to be tendered with a ring fenced subsidy for passengers, but allowing a car ferry to be used in an unrestricted manner.
At present Caledonian MacBrayne is restricted to one sailing an hour because it receives a passenger subsidy while Western Ferries receives nothing.
Gordon Ross, managing director of Western Ferries, this week officially complained about Caledonian MacBraynes cross-subsidising its car ferry operation with the public money it receives for passengers.
He also said: "Western Ferries is keen to see any development that removes the unlawful subsidisation of the vehicle service (on Gourock-Dunoon)."
Meanwhile the European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot has been invited to come to Scotland following last month's withdrawal of V ships from tendering for the rest of Caledonian MacBraynes routes which left Caledonian MacBrayne without competition in the tender. However, ministers are insisting that the tender goes ahead, at great cost to the public purse.
The SNP said that inviting the Transport commissioner to Scotland to see first hand the importance of ferry services on the West Coast should ensure that this drawn out and expensive process doesn't happen in the future." The SNP also said that there had to be a better way than tendering, adding that: "I can see no better way to put our case than by putting the commissioner on a ferry."
Meanwhile, the European Transport Commissioner has been invited to Scotland to visit those communities who depend on the ferry services which are being put out to tender.
The Gourock/Dunoon initiative follows a meeting in Edinburgh on Thursday convened by Tavish Scott, the Transport Minister. He had invited politicians and interested parties to discuss the future of the service.
The meeting followed the failed tendering of the Gourock - Dunoon route which is currently not receiving any subsidies. The route attracted no bids from Caledonian MacBrayne itself due to receiving A £2.5m loss on the service last year; or from other operators in particular Western Ferries who is Caledonian MacBraynes biggest competitor.
Following the Edinburgh meeting Mr Scott said: "Today's discussions will be helpful in our ongoing discussions with the European Commission and I am grateful to the people who took the time to come to Edinburgh today. It has been announced that a new approach is to be discussed with the European Commission for the route to be tendered with a ring fenced subsidy for passengers, but allowing a car ferry to be used in an unrestricted manner.
At present Caledonian MacBrayne is restricted to one sailing an hour because it receives a passenger subsidy while Western Ferries receives nothing.
Gordon Ross, managing director of Western Ferries, this week officially complained about Caledonian MacBraynes cross-subsidising its car ferry operation with the public money it receives for passengers.
He also said: "Western Ferries is keen to see any development that removes the unlawful subsidisation of the vehicle service (on Gourock-Dunoon)."
Meanwhile the European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot has been invited to come to Scotland following last month's withdrawal of V ships from tendering for the rest of Caledonian MacBraynes routes which left Caledonian MacBrayne without competition in the tender. However, ministers are insisting that the tender goes ahead, at great cost to the public purse.
The SNP said that inviting the Transport commissioner to Scotland to see first hand the importance of ferry services on the West Coast should ensure that this drawn out and expensive process doesn't happen in the future." The SNP also said that there had to be a better way than tendering, adding that: "I can see no better way to put our case than by putting the commissioner on a ferry."
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