Public engagement events - November 2023
CHFS3 engagement: Purpose
- Raising awareness of CHFS3 contract development and Islands Connectivity Plan
- Explore current CHFS2 issues
- Gain a clearer understanding on community views for developing CHFS3 contract and Islands Connectivity Plan
- Guidance on how communities can stay informed and participate in the process
Improving the current CHFS2 contract: CHFS3 objectives
- Safe and sustainable ferry services
- Affordable integrated travel for remote rural communities
- Opportunities for employment, business, leisure and tourism
- Reducing ferry services environmental impact
CHFS2: Examples of current issues
A small selection of CHFS2 issues which were identified through previous Transport Scotland stakeholder engagement sessions.
Various other sources including CHFS2 contract, National Transport Strategy, National Islands Plan, Strategic Transport Projects Review (consultations) and reports from Rural Economy Connectivity Committee, Public Audit Committee, Audit Scotland, and Net Zero Energy and Transport have also been reviewed.
CHFS fleet
Four major ferries beyond operational life; leading to increased faults, delays and cancellations.
Service disruptions
Lack of spare vessels and ineffective maintenance schedules; resulting in frequent disruptions and unreliable services.
Booking
E-Booking system launched May 2023 and has gone through numerous iterations since launch.
Capacity and demand
Lack of space available for urgent or essential travel plans.
Freight
Window for booking is unbalanced, reserving space versus cancellation. Impacting capacity available to regular users.
Timetables
Timetables required to be published before October and April but are often delayed. Timetable uncertainty impacts passenger travel plans and local economies (visitors, freight etc).
Performance reporting
Reports on performance and network status are not reflective of the real-time passenger experience.
Engagement
Lack of engagement around cancellations and disrupted services.
CHFS3: Public consultation
- Communities have the opportunity to provide meaningful input on the development of the CHFS3 contract and to improve the reliability and efficiency of ferry services in Scotland as such, Transport Scotland will be seeking views on potential ferry service improvements via public consultation.
- The public consultation will open in early December and will run for a 12-week period. Feedback can continue to be provided via email beyond the consultation period to a dedicated mailbox.
- The public consultation will address key themes identified by Transport Scotland stakeholder engagement, and reviews of various sources including National Transport Strategy, National Islands Plan, Strategic Transport Projects Review (consultations) and reports from Rural Economy Connectivity Committee, Public Audit Committee, Audit Scotland, and Net Zero Energy and Transport.
Key consultation themes
- Resilience and Reliability
- Community Voice, Transparency and Accountability
- Onward and Connecting Travel
- Freight Services
- Capacity and Demand
- Carbon Reduction and Environmental Impact
- Accessibility
- Monitoring and Review
CHFS3: Contract development milestones
- November 2023 onwards - Stakeholder and community engagement
- December 2023 - Public consultation go-live
- February 2024 - Consultation closes
- April 2024 - Public consultation report published
- May 2024 onwards - Update on public consultation
- October 2024 - New contract starts
CHFS3: Opportunity to share your views
Feedback provided by stakeholders and communities is crucial in helping us serve you better.
Planned Engagement
- Community Engagement: Commencing November 2023 and first half of 2024.
- Public Consultation: Commencing in December 2023, running for 12 weeks until February 2024.
Open Engagement
- Email: Feedback and queries can be sent at any time via chfs3@transport.gov.scot
You are invited to share your feedback on how to improve services against the identified key themes, either by adding a post-it note against specific themes on this document (at the in-person events), by filling in the engagement feedback form or via the public consultation in early December.