Draft Ferries Strategy

Scottish Ferries Review Consultation Document 10 June 2010 Contents Page Introduction from Stewart Stevenson Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change......4 Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................4 Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................5 Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................................7 WHAT IS THIS DOCUMENT FOR? .....................................................................................................................................7 THE PURPOSE OF THE SCOTTISH FERRIES REVIEW...............................................................................................................8 THE SCOPE OF THE FERRIES REVIEW ................................................................................................................................9 HOW THE REVIEW HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT .......................................................................................................................9 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?.................................................................................................................................................9 THE CURRENT POSITION .............................................................................................................................................10 NATIONAL OBJECTIVES IN PROVIDING SUPPORT TO FERRY SERVICES ....................................................................................19 STATE OF FINANCES....................................................................................................................................................21 Chapter 2: How should ferries be funded and procured? ................................................................26 HOW FERRIES ARE CURRENTLY FUNDED ..........................................................................................................................26 FUTURE INVESTMENT REQUIREMENT .............................................................................................................................27 OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE FUNDING OF FERRY SERVICES ....................................................................................................28 THE CURRENT PROCUREMENT POSITION .........................................................................................................................33 THE NEED FOR A TENDERING SYSTEM IN THE FUTURE.........................................................................................................34 Chapter 3: Fares................................................................................................................................36 OPTIONS FOR SETTING FARES .......................................................................................................................................36 ROAD EQUIVALENT TARIFF ..........................................................................................................................................37 MEETING OUR OBJECTIVES...........................................................................................................................................37 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS ............................................................................................................................................37 Chapter 4: What kind of ferry services should be funded? ..............................................................39 CURRENT POSITION....................................................................................................................................................39 DETERMINING WHAT ROUTES AND SERVICES SHOULD BE FUNDED. .......................................................................................39 ENTRY AND EXIT POLICY ..............................................................................................................................................39 PROPOSED METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING ROUTES AND SERVICES..................................................................................40 Chapter 5: Who should be responsible for providing ferry services?...............................................43 THE CURRENT POSITION ..............................................................................................................................................43 ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO SPLIT RESPONSIBILITY ..................................................................................................................43 PROCUREMENT SKILLS ................................................................................................................................................48 ISSUES .....................................................................................................................................................................48 Chapter 6: Accessibility .....................................................................................................................49 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................................................49 LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE........................................................................................................................................49 ACCESSIBILITY ASSESSMENT .........................................................................................................................................49 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................50 Chapter 7: Environmental Issues ......................................................................................................52 Glossary of Terms..................................................................................................................................54 Appendix 1: Summary of Consultation Questions................................................................................56 Appendix 2: Consultation Questionnaire..............................................................................................58 Figures Figure 1 South Western Scotland routes.................................................................. 11 Figure 2 Western Isles routes .................................................................................. 12 Figure 3 Orkney & Shetland routes .......................................................................... 13 Figure 4 Scottish Government Subsidy Levels......................................................... 21 Figure 5 Scottish Government supported Northern Isles Subsidy Levels................. 22 Figure 6 Scottish Government Supported Clyde & Hebrides Subsidy Levels .......... 22 Figure 7 Shetland Islands Council Subsidy Levels................................................... 23 Figure 8 Orkney Islands Council Subsidy Levels ..................................................... 23 Figure 9 Subsidy Levels for Scottish Government Funded, Shetland Islands Council and Orkney Islands Council ..................................................................................... 24 Figure 10 Spending on Ports and Harbours ............................................................. 25 Figure 11 Community Categorisation: Potential to Contribute to Scotland’s Economic Growth and Economic Challenges/Disadvantage .................................................... 42 Tables Table 1 Ferry routes in Scotland .............................................................................. 15 Table 2 Fare Options and Descriptions.................................................................... 36 Appendices Appendices 1 and 2 are part of this document. The remaining Appendices can be found in the separate document “Scottish Ferries Review - Consultation Document – Appendices 3 to 10”. Appendix 1 Summary of Consultation Questions Appendix 2 Scottish Ferries Review Consultation Questionnaire Appendix 3: List of Reports Appendix 4: Relevant TICCC recommendations to be addressed Appendix 5: High Level Scope Appendix 6: Members of the Project Groups Appendix 7: Report on first Round of Consultation Events Appendix 8: Data Collection Appendix 9: The Historical context Appendix 10: Defining Routes and Services Introduction from Stewart Stevenson Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Scotland’s ferry services play a key role in sustaining and enabling economic development in our fragile island and remote rural communities. At the time of the last census in 2001, there were 95 inhabited Scottish islands with a total population of almost 100,000 people. These numbers understate the substantial social, cultural and economic contributions our islands make to Scotland. Links to our islands need to be an integral part of Scotland’s transport network. We want to identify where changes and improvements to ferry services can support and enable the creation of dynamic and growing economies for our island and peninsular communities. We wish to support and grow the potential of these communities to contribute to Scotland’s economy. We recognise the current contributions from e.g. the oil and gas sector, fishing, aquaculture, tourism and whisky production.

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