Scotland’s lifeline ferries are to receive £3.5 million from the Scottish Government to reduce the risk of vessels breaking down and to return them to service quicker if they do.
The move was announced on Tuesday by Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson at a public meeting on Arran. Mr Matheson was on Arran for a travelling cabinet meeting and commented: ‘We are aware that, as our ferries age, additional resources will be needed to keep the vessels running. ‘The funds will be used to upgrade or replace key systems and equipment on the vessels. This will be tackled on a priority basis to avoid potential vessel breakdowns and delays to the ferry service and customers.’
Welcoming the announcement of the Resilience Fund, Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac Ferries Ltd, said: ‘Upgrading on-board technology to reduce the risk of breakdowns, and helping to reduce the time out of service when faults do occur, will improve the resilience of the Theet and we know this will also be welcomed by the communities who rely on our lifeline ferry services.’