Submission from Bob Trigg, Clerk to , and Wyre Community Council – 24 March 2008

As Clerk to the Rousay, Egilsay & Wyre Community Council I have been asked to write to you expressing the views of the Council in reference to the TICC’s inquiry into ferry services in .

Orkney Islands Council (OIC) submitted its STAG Report to the Scottish Parliament late last year and the Community Council fears that the generally very good ferry service our three islands currently receive could be jeopardised by the recommendation of Ferries to replace the MV with the MV . It is generally accepted by most of the islands’ residents that the Shapinsay would not be able to keep up with the very tight scheduling that the Eynhallow is subjected too and that this would result in an inevitable reduction in services. The skipper himself spoke out about the shortcomings of the Shapinsay at the summer’s public meeting, namely she is slower, underpowered, harder to handle in wind and of deeper draft. It is thought that if the Shapinsay were to come to RE&W, then millions of pounds would have to be spent on extending the Shapinsay, upgrading her engines, extending at least two of the four piers the boat visits and repeated dredging of the harbour approaches. Surely this money would be better spent in replacing the Eynhallow with a more modern equivalent even if it means keeping the Eynhallow for a few more years.

Further to the fears of having the Eynhallow replaced by a less suitable boat, there are repeated requests to the Community Council for year-round sailings as for seven months of the year (October to April inclusive) we do not have Sunday sailings. The Community Council is regularly told by that the crew are not allowed to increase their hours as this would contravene Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) Hours of Rest regulations. There have been regular whispers of more money to fund an Orkney-wide floating crew so as to allow Sunday sailings but, as yet, nothing has materialised. It is my belief that islanders would not require a full Sunday timetable but a reduced service would be better than nothing. Failing this, there is the acceptance that if the summer ferry timetable reflected British Summer Time, i.e. seven months of the year rather than five, then this would be a step in the right direction.

Finally, I would like to convey the Community Council’s displeasure at the Road Equivalent Tariff trial for some of the western islands. Surely, year-long staggered studies involving all of Scotland’s ferries would have given a fairer picture of Scotland’s ferry services.

If you require more information, then please do not hesitate to contact me, Yours faithfully,

Bob Trigg (Clerk)