Yes, yes, but when you look at the facts globally, CalMac is the best deal for passengers in the world






Professor John Robertson OBA





The Herald today struggling to keep the flow of bad news on ferries going, ignores the wider facts:





Has anyone in the Scottish media looked at any other ferry services in other parts which might be exemplars of how to do things?





They haven’t? Thought so. Too tired? Here, I’ll do it.





First, Calmac has 33 vessels in service, with 5 new ones imminent, for 5.3 million passengers and ticket prices kept low by the biggest government subsidies in the world.





In sharp contrast:





New Zealand – 4 cases of running aground, drifting toward rocks and hitting wharves in only two years due to under-staffing and under-training (Only man on the bridge could not disable the autopilot because he did not know to hold the button down for 5 seconds!). Harbour master bullied to allow larger ferries through dangerous narrows. Two new ferries cancelled when incoming government refused to pay $3 billion for them. MV Sannox and Glen Rosa – £360 million.





Greece – one ferry sinks with 530 on board, one passenger pushed to his death for arriving late and looking like an immigrant; tourists suffering in overcrowding and having to walk through waves onto beach carrying their cases; no service at all in off-season for smaller islands; currently all on strike.





Isle of Wight – mass cancellations, summer prices 2 to 4 times CalMac equivalents to enable shareholder dividends.





Washington State – far older ferries, far more cancellations and far higher prices, staffing shortages due to low pay and 29% of the fleet in dock compared to 9% of the Calmac fleet. Has 21 ferries and only 9 are in good condition. Still running the 64 year-old MV Nicola, the 65 year-old MV Tachek and MV Quadra Queen II.





Lake Michigan USA – 72 year-old coal-fired ferry still serving in one of wealthiest countries in the World





Channel Islands – Foreign ferry crew cannot speak and steer well enough to avoid killing fishermen or hit a harbour wall and twice the ticket price of CalMac





British Columbia – the same as Washington State and delays three to four times longer than on CalMac boats. Still running the 64 year-old MV Nicola, the 65 year-old MV Tachek and MV Quadra Queen II.





Nova Scotia – ‘Complete insanity’ as Canadian ferry service is cut completely for two months, despite calmer seas, to population the size of Arran.





Georgia, USA – Ferry jetty death scandal as 7 dead in US state with more than twice per head Scotland’s GDP.





Lake Ontario – cheap Romanian ferries unable to operate safely two years after delivery, vessels twice the age of CalMac’s and crewing so sparse as to risk disaster.





Tasmania – 2 ferries bought from Finland 2 years before harbour work to suit them is in place and being kept in Leith to avoid ice off Finland.





Norway – Shortfalls in crew numbers and regulations governing rest periods make non-scheduled extra crossings problematic. This results in many cancelled crossings, causing major irritation to travellers along the Norwegian coast.





Croatia – 55 year-old Croatian ferry failure kills 3 as cheap steel ruptures.





Scilly Isles – Aging English lifeline ferry, 37 years older than CalMac equivalent, takes twice as long for half the distance.





Ireland – Utter chaos and misery for disabled as Irish Ferries have to use four different ferries on the Rosslare-Pembroke route, in just one year.





Sources for all of the above? Search at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/blog-feed/





More recently:







Is this why there have been no surveys of ordinary ferry-users’ views – more than 90% feel ‘well’ or ‘very well’-served?’









Troubled English ferry company has to borrow to survive but still pays nearly £1 million to directors









Islanders furious as New Zealand government’s ‘dilly-dallying’ gets it into $800 million (£600 million) cancellation debt without even a contract signed for new ferries to replace the unsafe ones still being used









BC Ferries in Canada just beginning to think of replacing four ferries between 7 and 19 years older than the oldest major CalMac vessel



			


	



					



	
			

			13 thoughts on “Yes, yes, but when you look at the facts globally, CalMac is the best deal for passengers in the world”		


		
    
					
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    Glad you are feeling better Prof. Robertson.
    

    “Yes, yes, but when you look at the facts globally”
    

    Aye indeed , but who the H in the media , both within Scotland and elsewhere in the UK ,  is going to do that on any story that proves that “CalMac is the best deal for passengers in the world”.
    

    Maybe the media in a alternate Universe would do that , however here in the real world………..where many “facts” are alien to our media , as they instead prefer to ‘manufacture’ , ‘fabricate’ , ‘concoct’ , contrive, ‘dream up’ ,’cook up’ and spin many of the stories they produce here in Scotland to then all ultimately end up as being #SNPBAD and also #ScotlandIsSh*te propaganda.
    

    The media’s Scottish Ferries saga has been going on for so long that it’s now been included in the ‘Best Soap Opera’ award category in the British Soap Awards , with the best actors in this saga , that were both nominated and then won the award, being the BBC Scotland News team. (other nominees in this category were most of the printed press in Scotland and the best Director’s award for this Media Ferries Soap Opera went to all of the SNP’s opposition parties).
    

    Vote SNP in 2026 as a first step to our eventual independence , and in doing so , then this Media Ferry Soap Opera will be off your TV screens soon,  as will many of the newspaper articles about it as well , as in hopefully OFF very soon, as in not before (insert swear word) time.
    

    Liz S
    

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        Ah, does sound a bit like the lurgy going around…it comes and goes, hard to shift so take it easy John, doing even normal stuff can be exhausting.
        
Take care.
        

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    It looks like Martin Williams of the Herald has been told to recycle the same old pap, but with new graphics. It’s bound to be a winner..
    

    How much do they charge for a copy of the Herald now? 
    

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    God almighty, there is so much shite coming out from disabled seaman Williams these days, no surprise whatever to see more ‘right down a bit number two’ than actual journalism.. https://archive.ph/0oscg – But FFS, to try the ” A ferry user group official ” again when we’re already sick to death of this dreary business mafia operation, why not just call him out by his real name Peter&Anna, eh Martin ? 
    

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    I heard the American President is seeking to change the name to remove the word ‘ferry’ from the American vocabulary.   
    

           .    Patriot Floater
    
	•	Sea Trump Express
    
	•	Liberty Cruiser
    
	•	America’s Big Boat (ABB)
    
	•	Woke-Free Wave Rider
    

    🛥️
    

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    Used the Largs to Cumbrae ferry last week. Great experience! Foot passengers just £4.40 return.   100% satisfied and great weather.
    

    Bad news for Sarwar/Baillie etc. They’re NEVER happy. 
    

    

    

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