Chamber and committees

CalMac Ferries Ltd employ 522 shore based staff and 986 sea-going staff. Of those staff, 390 are resident on the islands.

This information will be included in the Gourock to Dunoon invitation to tender documents.

Transport Scotland does not hold information on the expected increase in carryings on the routes on which road equivalent tariff (RET) will apply from October 2015. Carryings will depend on a range of factors including crossing time.

Evidence from the RET pilot on the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree, found increases in passenger and car carryings in the first year of 19% and 30% respectively. Other routes, where RET was rolled out subsequently, are currently being monitored. The change in carryings on the routes receiving RET from October 2015 will be monitored and evaluated.

I refer the member to the answer to questions S4W-25146 on 22 April 2015 All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The annual costs of road equivalent tariff are published each year in an annual report to the Scottish Parliament on grants made under Section 70 (1) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001. For ease of reference, they are also detailed in the following table.

Transport Scotland does not hold information on the cost of road equivalent tariff broken down by route.

*estimated outturn figure for 2014-15 as the annual accounts have still to be published.

The contract is still on-going. However, outturn costs for the new berth steps structure are estimated to be approximately £1.74 million which includes design, supervision, supply of materials and construction.

The invitation to tender for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services, due to issue June 2015, will confirm the operator’s reporting requirements for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services network.

The port facilities at Gourock enable the provision of an accessible ferry service.

However, the replacement infrastructure for ‘the Kilcreggan steps’ which consists of six platforms set at various levels to provide pedestrian access to passenger ferries at all states of tide by their nature cannot provide full compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has overseen development of a design which as far as is practicable is in compliance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. This has been achieved by provision of a pedestrian route from the ferry terminal building onto Platform 4 of the new structure via a shore connection platform, which has been designed and constructed to be as level as possible. Where slopes in existing walkways are unavoidable, these have been modified to ensure there are only short lengths of gradients less than 1 in 12.

Access to the upper or lower platforms is only possible by a short run of steps, however, these have been designed to be as user friendly as possible and have high visibility markings across the leading edge of each step and hand rails. If passengers require assistance to access these platforms, this will be provided by either port or vessel staff, as is the case at the existing steps.

If necessary, the existing linkspan can be used as a means of level access onto vessel gangways at any state of tide.

The Ferries Plan stated our intention for road equivalent tariff (RET) to be rolled out to lifeline ferry services, and indicated the timescale for the roll-out of RET to all services operated under the Clyde and Hebrides Ferries Services contract.

No decisions have, therefore, been taken about the timing or funding of any roll out of RET to the Gourock-Dunoon routes. Transport Scotland is content to discuss the appropriate form and timing of any RET roll out with ferry operators and other stakeholders.

Annual route carrying information has always been available on the CalMac website and can be found via the following link:

https://www.calmac.co.uk/corporate/carrying-statistics.