Hebridean ferry operator CalMac is launching an Islander Priority Pilot with the winter timetable on October 5, to help residents of Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree get on or off the islands in an emergency – but it is still open to all and no guarantee of space.
“Together with Coll and Tiree, we will be trialling a ticket sales system that should give a more level playing-field for island residents,” Mull and Iona Ferry Committee (MIFC) announced.
Islanders needing to travel to or from the mainland last minute often could not find vehicle space on a ferry, because of a vessel shortage in CalMac’s ageing fleet due to dry dock over-runs, breakdowns, and the two overdue ferries being built at Ferguson Marine, plus a Hebridean holiday boom with tourists booking months in advance.
The new Islander Priority Pilot will reserve a percentage of car deck space until a few days before the ferry sails, when it will be released for booking.
MIFC explained: “Back in June of last year we surveyed Mull and Iona residents on the Samso System – an islander-priority system modelled on the the Danish island of that name.
“There, all island residents and eligible frequent-travellers are allocated an ID card, which gives them access to a portion of the car deck space reserved for them. It means that no-matter when they decide to travel, Samso residents are guaranteed a space for their car on their lifeline ferry service.
“The idea had overwhelming (95 per cent) support from across Mull and Iona. Armed with those results, transport minister Jenny Gilruth agreed to trial something similar on the Craignure-Oban route.
“We all know how badly it’s needed, with summer congestion and early sales to tourist travellers meaning that we rarely get the sailing of our choice unless we book weeks in advance. This winter (like last) will face similar capacity short-falls, when the Loch Frisa is operating the route on her own.
“It isn’t a guarantee of space,” MIFC added. “A fully-fledged ID-based Samso System can’t be delivered in one go, what is being tested is something much simpler. A portion of vehicle deck space on every sailing will be held back from sale, to be released 72 hours (three days) before sailing time.
“For the Craignure-Oban route, the retention is being set at 10 per cent. (The retention figure and the release time is different for Coll and Tiree). So for every Loch Frisa sailing there will be around three car spaces retained, and for every Isle of Mull sailing, about six.
“Exactly 72 hours before sailing time the retained 10 per cent will be automatically triggered for sale, on a first-come-first-served basis for anyone to buy.
“The retained tickets will be available for anyone to buy, not just island residents. So on the positive side, anyone with a last-minute need to travel will benefit. On the negative side, it means that these spaces are not exclusively for islanders.
“To try to overcome that, CalMac will not market or promote this system to the general public, so that it is less likely to be used by other travellers. It won’t be ‘secret’ but hopefully with a combination of local knowledge and lack of overt promotion off-island, it will do the job.
“So please spread the word around Mull and Iona, remembering that the objective is for islanders to travel more easily than they can now. It’s not for accommodation providers to use as a way of selling late availability, and it’s not a substitute for booking early if you can.”
Last month we reported Tiree and Coll islanders feared the pilot could be “useless” for them, because the reserved space would be allocated to people on the Advanced Standby list, which includes holidaymakers with a pre-existing accommodation booking.
Almost half of Tiree’s current housing stock – 46 per cent – is tied up in a combination of holiday let and second homes, revealed Tiree Community Development Trust this summer.
The reserved space can be given to anyone, not just islanders.
“There’s no residence check,” added Tiree Community Council chairperson Phyl Meyer last month, arguing the pilot could be “pointless” if it is linked to the Advanced Standby list.
But MIFC confirmed the Advance Standby list had been suspended for the pilot.
“In order for the pilot to operate fairly, we have asked CalMac to remove Advance Standby whilst the pilot is active,” it said. “Advance Standby will not be available on the pilot routes.
“If Advance Standby had remained in place, people on the standby list would have had priority over the people we are trying to help with the pilot. But because the retained spaces are available to be bought by anyone, a traveller who previously might have used Advance Standby can instead buy a ticket 72 hours before sailing time.
“The aim is to learn from this pilot, and use those learnings to help design a permanent system that could be rolled out across the network in future. During the pilot period (which should be at least for this winter and next summer), the percentage and timing of retained space may be adjusted as usage patterns and impacts become known.”
MIFC, often a vocal critic of ferry authorities, thanked CalMac, Transport Scotland, and former and current transport ministers Jenny Gilruth and Fiona Hyslop for recognising the need for the system and delivering a trial. “We hope it will make a big difference to us,” it said.