Regulars will know that Scotland’s state-run CalMac ferries were at 100% reliability across more than 300 sailings yesterday, after several days in the high 90s, despite endless media reports of delays in new ferries and planned maintenance for others.
For some time, I’ve been looking at ferry services in Canada (2), the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Greece, the Channel Islands, the Scilly Isles and the Isle of Wight. Where data are published and many seem not to have to, I’ve found much higher prices everywhere, ageing vessels in the USA and Canada, delayed replacement vessels in Canada, USA (Washington State), New Zealand, the Channel Isles and the Scilly Isles, staffing shortages almost everywhere, recent dangerous events in Canada, Greece and New Zealand and lower reliability especially in the USA and Canada.
Today, we can add another – The Maine State Ferry Service in the USA:
The Maine State Ferry Service has had to cancel trips to islands off the midcoast and Hancock County due to an unprecedented number of vessels needing repairs, as well as staffing shortages.
Three frequently used ferries have been out of commission in recent weeks, said Bill Geary, the service’s director, in a Facebook post on Friday.
Maine State ferries has only 13 ferries and 3 are in dock.
Washington State has 21 and only 9 are in good condition.
New Zealand’s government has just cancelled two new replacement ferries despite an older one drifting powerless toward rocks with hundreds on board.
CalMac has 34 and 3 are in dock but reliability is unaffected. 4 new ferries come into service this year or early next year.
CalMac’s oldest ferry, the MV Isle of Cumbrae is 46 this year. Maine State has 2 older, the 56 year-old MV Governor Curtis and the 64 year-old MV Everett Libby. Washington State has 3 older including the 65 year-old MV Tilikum. BC Ferries in Canada is still running the 64 year-old MV Nicola, the 65 year-old MV Tachek and MV Quadra Queen II as well as 3 others just a year or two older than the Cumbrae.
Maine’s GDP per head is £34 600 while Scotland’s is only £29 000.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
And I bet that none of those governments get the blame unlike SNPBAD perpetrated by Labour/tory anti Scottish agendas. I can understand the Tories hating any nationalised industry but was the labour movement’s original ideology not nationalisation of ALL industry……….that AND heavy taxation of large incomes and wealth…….newnewlabour have come a long way from those days……the millionaire’s in charge in England and the millionaire branch office “snipers”in Scotland who continually denigrate Scotlands nationalised industries, all to destabilise a parliament that they wanted and now want rid of as it hasn’t gone as planned.
But of course have they not been going on about abolishing the House of Lords for almost a hundred years?
JB
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January 1910 Labour Party General Election Manifesto
A general election has been forced upon the country by the action of the House of Lords rejecting the Budget. The great question you are to decide is whether the Peers or the people are to rule this country.
Each Session since the last general election important Bills, upon which the House of Commons had spent much time, have been mutiliated or destroyed by the House of Lords, an irresponsible body which represents nothing but its own class interests. Not content with this, they now claim the right to decide what taxes shall be paid, upon whom they shall be levied, and for what purpose they shall be spent. They also claim to dictate the date at which Parliament shall be dissolved. The time has come to put an end to their power to override the will of the Commons.
The country has allowed landowners to pocket millions of pounds every year in the share of unearned increment, and yet they object to pay a small tax upon what, in justice, should belong to the State. They wish at all costs to preserve their power to plunder the people.
The Labour party welcomes this opportunity to prove that the feudal age is past and that the people are no longer willing to live on the sufferance of the Lords.
The issues you have to decide are simple. Our present system of land ownership has devastated our countryside, has imposed heavy burdens upon our industries, has cramped the development of our towns, and has crippled capital and impoverished labour.The Lords must go
At this crisis the Labour party mertis your support. It comes with great achievements and with a determination to do much more.
In 1906 it pledged itself to restore to trade unions the same liberty as capital enjoyed during trade disputes.
THAT PLEDGE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
It pledged itself to insist upon old-age pension.
THAT PLEDGE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
It pledged itself to help drastic housing reform.
THAT PLEDGE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
It pledged itself to work for the relief of the burdens on persons of small or moderate means by the taxation of unearned incomes and land values.
THAT PLEDGE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
It pledged itself to pay special attention to the unemployed, and to compel any and every Government to contribute to the solution of this problem.
THAT PLEDGE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
The experience of the last four years has demonstrated the value of the Labour Party acting on independent lines. There still remain many problems to be solved.
The working and middle classes are still overburdened with rates and taxes. All these problems will demand the attention of an active, determined, and independent party, drawn from the people and in touch with the people. The Labour Party, therefore, appeals to you to renew your confidence in it, to add to its ranks, and increase its power. Vote for the Labour candidates. The land for the people. The wealth for the wealth producers. Down with privilege. Up with the people.
Keir Hardy signed this manifesto!!!
Labour Party breaking promises since 1910
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Sorry forgot to sign it!
JB
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Arran 5,000 pop. Ferry service 10 ferries a day. One every hour? Better than some bus services.
Islanders in Scotland 70,000. How many ferries? Fights as well. Subsidised.
4 new ferries coming. 2 will save on fuel.
Orkney is one of the best places to live in the world.
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The campaign to sully the reputation of Calmac has both a political and financial dimension, but it pretty much follows the playbook for privatisation – Old rolling stock, unreliable service, expensive and inefficient public ownership…
Will we never learn ?
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I have just discovered courtesy of the Guardian that over-60s living on Orkney and Shetland who have a National Entitlement Card can get 2 free return ferry trips per year. We’ll done SG.
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Yes indeed and in addition to the over-60s in the Western Isles also benefitting, don’t forget this, from the Transport Scotland website:
‘You are eligible for ferry vouchers if:
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Isn’t it strange that has never been mentioned by MSM in all the talk about ferries.
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This joins a list of things about Scotland – the list of the ‘good as anywhere elsewhere in the UK’ plus the slightly better plus the much better that elsewhere – that don’t get much if any mention by the MSM .
Seeking to win the argument for the Union through the MSM adhering to a long list of topics never to be raised would be ‘problematic’ enough but not content with this, the same media sources serve up negativity: gaslighting is an accurate description.
The effective absence of context, perspective, journalistic critique or challenge in political, social and economic news coverage about Scotland even by that alleged champion of public good, the BBC, reveals their Unionist purpose. If the same was perpetrated by the MSM on England, the leader of Labour-In-Name-Only may well call it out as unpatriotic!
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