Comhairle SNP group commends Transport and Islands Minister Derek MacKay's formation of a taskforce with a determined focus to have the infrastructure at Stornoway and Ullapool completed as quickly as practicable to enable the newly built £42m MV Loch Seaforth to deliver the enhanced service at the earliest possible date.
Group Leader Donald Manford comments;
It's excellent news that Stornoway Port Authority will have its port ready to take the new vessel in the next couple of weeks. Their achievement is all the greater when not all Board Members have put the service first.
I am particularly disappointed that no vessel is available to provide a dedicated service between Tarbert and Uig. We have long advocated for dedicated vessels for Tarbert/Uig AND Lochmaddy/Uig which would provide a much greater level of frequency, reliability and resilience to the entire Western Isles. We are grateful for the constant support of our MP Angus MacNeil and would urge the Transport & Islands Minister Derek MacKay to look closely at this for the future.
We trust the Minister will continue with his plans to meet Island organisations to gain further insight into the opportunities for individual island autonomy and transport resilience
A journal written by the SNP opposition group on the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council).
