Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Service Improvements
A series of improvements will be implemented on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services network, following a public consultation on the shape of the next contract.
Transport Scotland and CalMac are working on a number of enhancements ahead of the contract extension, which starts on 1 October 2024.
These measures include:
- Increasing engagement with community members and organisations by expanding the regions from three to six, each with a dedicated area manager and deputy area manager, to help gather valuable local insights and directly inform future service decisions.
- Strengthening local decision-making and the accessibility of CalMac management by reviewing processes and policies, and where possible devolving decisions to local areas and adapting to meet local needs.
- Improved performance reporting to better reflect passenger experience, including monitoring capacity and deck space utilisation.
- Implementing improvements to e-booking, and reviewing protocols for passenger support and evaluating deck space capacity utilisation pilots.
- Developing formal partnerships with other transport partners to improve transport connectivity.
- The intention to expand the application of the current Deck Space Pilot being trialled on Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree. This will include consideration of the benefits of the existing pilot and working with the Ferries Community Board, local ferry committees and CalMac teams to agree the next phase of this work.
The roll out of these changes follow a formal Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) consultation process. The exercise has been invaluable, and highlighted issues relating to communication, transparency and the impact of service disruption on passengers and businesses. The summary findings and the full analysis of consultation responses are available on the Transport Scotland website.
The Enhancement and Change Plan is available on the CalMac website.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said:
“The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that our ferry services are reliable, affordable and inclusive, to support the people, businesses and communities of our islands and supporting economic and population growth of our islands”.
“That is why I am pleased to welcome the introduction of CalMac’s new Enhancement and Change Plan, which will act as a catalyst for improvement of services for passengers, businesses and communities across the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services network and respond to the issues raised in the public consultation.
“The status quo was not an option, and we are not waiting until the next Ferry contract to ensure improvements are made. CalMac are already seeking to strengthen regionalisation in order to devolve decision making locally and improve transparency through performance reporting to better reflect passenger experience. We intend to expand the application of the current Deck Space Pilot being trialled on Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, and we will support CalMac to ensure continuous improvement as the six new vessels join the fleet over the coming months and years.
“I would also like to thank everyone that has taken part in the formal public consultation exercise in shaping the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry contract.
“It has given both my officials and CalMac management valuable insights into what our island communities need – as well as noting the praise and appreciation expressed for the hard work of staff onboard vessels and at ports and harbours – and I also want to offer my sincere thanks to all those CalMac staff.
“We recognise these are the first steps along a path of continuous improvement and, together with CalMac and our communities, I will continue to ensure that our west coast ferry services will meet the needs of the communities they serve.”
Pauline Blackshaw CalMac Director of Strategy and Change said:
“We welcome the opportunity to work with Transport Scotland to develop a plan to enhance Clyde and Hebrides Ferry services. Informed by extensive feedback from our customers and communities, this plan demonstrates our commitment to meeting the challenge set by the Cabinet Minister for Transport and represents a significant step towards enhancing the quality and reliability of our ferry services to improve every journey.
“From our discussions, we understand that communities want a stronger voice in decisions that affect them, along with services that reflect local needs and more open, honest, and transparent communication. To achieve this, we are forming a team of area managers and deputy managers who will be more deeply embedded in our communities to better understand local issues. This new team will truly grasp the needs of local communities and will focus on working proactively with key contacts in the six regions: Clyde, Arran, Islay and Jura, Argyll, Hebrides North, and Hebrides South.
“We will work towards making decisions locally whenever possible, ensuring services meet community needs. We are also committed to being more transparent in our performance reporting and will introduce new regional scorecards that highlight the metrics that matter most to our customers.
“With six new major vessels due to join the fleet by 2026, and significant infrastructure upgrades at ports and harbours taking place, the lifeline ferry services we deliver will continue to improve. During the extension period, we will work hard to provide certainty and reliability, and listen closely to the views of local people who rely on our services.”