Orkney Crossing favouritism

[bigpete]

Being in the Tourism business, it's very sad to see that Orkney Councillors are stopping Pentland Ferries using Burwick instead of St Margaret's Hope (which would cut the journey time in half) basically it looks like IF there is an alternative, short, reasonable priced, more regular crossing to Orkney, then it's pretty obvious the vast majority of visitors will use this route instead of the one and half hour - £31m a year subsidised - crossing Scrabster to Stromness. Wonder why this crossing is subsidised?
Recently - 30th August - Northlink Ferries apologised to the Advertising Standards Authority (RE: A06-8183/DL) for producing a brochure which states; "Gateway to Orkney, explore Orkney by day return, prices from £12.70" oh no it aint, the cheapest day return for a foot passenger is £25.40 in the winter!.
In the Tourist periods of July & August for two visitors to take their car from Scrabster to Orkney would be £148.20!; an horrendous price for visitors coming up here combined with the rip-off fuel prices. The Council cites 'impact on the lifeline service' with the Scrabster to Stromness crossing..
So, continue to pay horrendous ferry prices which (I know) puts tourists off, not only is Orkney losing out on valuable income, but those visitors travelling through Caithness to get to Orkney, aint there.. Looks like 'Councillor mentality' is all over the Far North, is Northlink really afraid of competition? Pentland could quite easy enlarge to take any volume of traffic - at the moment without a penny in subsidies, this could be the 'lifeline Services' link? Lets face it I crossed over on Northlink in April and you could count the handful of passengers..
Article below:
'A ferry operator claims he is being prevented from cutting the sailing time to Orkney by 50%, because Orkney Islands Council is determined to protect the Scottish Executive's rival interests.
Andrew Banks, managing director of Pentland Ferries, is prepared to complain to the European Commission if the council, as harbour authority, continues to refuse access to Burwick Harbour, at the southern end of South Ronaldsay.
Since 2001, Pentland Ferries has been running a car ferry between Gills Bay in Caithness and St Margaret's Hope at the north end of South Ronaldsay, which takes just over an hour.
Mr Banks said that if he were allowed to sail to and from Burwick, the sailing time could be cut to 30 minutes and allow eight round trips a day during the summer.
The Northlink service between Scrabster and Stromness, which the executive supports with a subsidy of £31m a year, takes 90 minutes.
Pentland does not want a subsidy but wants an opportunity to introduce a new service. Mr Banks said he resented that the council had postponed consideration of his request, citing the impact on the lifeline service (Scrabster/Stromness) as one of the reasons.
Mr Banks said: "The reason why OIC is refusing or delaying Pentland Ferries access to Burwick is clearly to placate vested interests."
A council spokesman said the transportation committee had recommended further consideration before a decision on Pentland's request was taken. More information was being sought from the company'

[Westside]

One possible reason why Orkney Islands Council is (and always has been) against doing anything to assist Andrew Banks is that they are embarassed by the very existence and success of his self financed ferry service. Why? - because a few years ago they sank (literally) at least £7m of Orkney's money into attempting to set up a rival ferry crossing to the Scrabster route as they were unhappy with P&O's monopoly. Unsurprisingly for a council run operation it never got off the ground (or should that be on the water). After that they bent over backwards to help P&O and subsequently Northlink run the so called "Lifeline" service by building new terminals and piers. So when Andrew Banks came along and successfully established the short sea route alternative he was unsurprisingly short of support from OIC. Yet the Scrabster route continues to be classed as a lifeline route (where there is classed as being NO reliable, reasonably priced alternative), receiving huge amounts of subsidy and still being much more expensive than Banks and their fancy new boat being no more reliable during adverse weather conditions than Mr B's well proven Cal Mac cast offs. And Banks does better bacon rolls.

[Gogglebox]

Were they not ripped off by some bloke originally with the Gills - Orkney crossing
I seem to remember a big "Frontline Scotland" documentary about it years ago but cant quite remember the story

[j4bberw0ck]

I think the truth of the various matters here is more complex than it appears at first. I'm not defending Northlink (I have no connexion with them or with Pentland Ferries, and Northlink're now CalMac anyway) but there are some things that need to be factored in. I'm certainly not defending OIC and have no connexion with them either, save as a taxpayer.

One of the key requirements of the bid when N/link took over from P&O was new tonnage, with a high standard of accommodation. None of the P&O boats met the then-new safety specs for these waters and all had to be replaced. And who could honestly say the "roly-poly Ola" was a comfortable boat? The contract was originally for 5 years and it was done on a "cheapest wins" basis. These terms were set by the Scottish Executive, not OIC. So the first funding cost for N/link was the £125 million or so that the three new boats cost. Andrew Banks hadn't started his operation at that stage and so the business model didn't factor him in.

Andrew Banks bought an old boat from Calmac at a tiny fraction of that cost. Many regular users of the service, who are glad it's there, call the boats "rustbuckets" (usually in conjunction with a variety of adjectives) and that's just what they are.

Another key requirement on bidders for the Stromness route was TUPE - taking on the former P&O staff on the terms they'd enjoyed with P&O, and their pension liabilities accumulated across years. Big expense, especially when the new boats needed fewer people.

Andrew Banks hired a new crew and shore staff with no TUPE liabilities to pay, put them in old huts, and set his own terms and conditions of work.

So, given 5 years to make a return on their investment, the N/link consortium needed a subsidy from the Scottish Exec. When Pentland Ferries started up, it was widely reported that he carried 16,000 cars and 45,000 passengers in his first year, which knocked the legs out from under the Northlink business model. It's also worth noting that some of the subsidy (as I understand it) is subvention, giving islanders cheaper fare rates than tourists and others coming inwards.

I'm not knocking Pentland Ferries or feeling sorry for Northlink, believe me. Andrew Banks' pricing has brought down the fares on Northlink quite dramatically, especially for freight. But the reason OIC can't do anything to prejudice the Northlink operation is that Pentland Ferries don't have a contract to honour with the Executive. Ergo, by definition, they are not a lifeline service. If they go bust, or if Banks decides to go operate ferries in the Irish Sea or Hong Kong or wherever, or to farm sheep, he can do it at the drop of a hat.

CalMac / Northlink are contracted to supply services to Orkney and Shetland and those services are closely defined in the contract. If OIC do something to make CalMac/Northlink go bust (as Northlink did, which is why the contract was re-tendered in 2005), then they're going to have a hard time convincing the Scottish Exec that subsidies are a good idea, potentially leaving the islands without any service at all.

So they're scared to make a decision in favour of Banks, is all. It was being reported a couple of months ago that he's been in the Philippines looking at a high-speed catamaran hull and considering investing £10 million in it, to operate between Gills and the Hope, so he can clearly lay his hands on financial support. I admire him immensely for what he's done, and the risks he's taken with his own money - I hope he retires a very wealthy and happy man as reward for his risk.

Also, it's not true to say (and as I don't have figures, this is an empirical view) that Pentland and Northlink services are equally affected by weather. Pentland regularly cancel sailings when there's an ebb tide and they're particularly vulnerable to easterlies at the Gills end. Several times this year the boat's crossed, and had to come back because it can't dock at Gills. And of course, after 31 Oct each year, he's restricted to 12 vehicles and/or 12 passengers.

[Naefearjustbeer]

after 31 Oct each year, he's restricted to 12 vehicles and/or 12 passengers.

A lot of good and interesting points made in your post, Makes a lot of sense to me apart from this last bit what is the reason for the restriction?

As an aside I have never used the Northlink crossing I have alway travelled from Gills when I have come over.

[j4bberw0ck]

Thank you, NFJB. The restriction is because of ship safety regulations; the type of vessel / type of construction isn't deemed suitable for full loads during the winter months. It's another point about subsidy, I suppose; the Northlink boats have to be designed for year-round use, whilst the Pentalina (I believe) is on a route which isn't classed as open water. Were it open water, it wouldn't be allowed to sail, full stop.

[Saxo01]

I dont remember the rolypoly Ola missing very many crossings & I have been glad as have many others that Pentland Ferries were operating on days Northlink were not, Stranded otherwise, Not saying there's anything wrong being stranded in caithness couldn't think of a better place but usually trying to get back to work.

[j4bberw0ck]

I dont remember the rolypoly Ola missing very many crossings


:lol: One of the curious things about the Ola (and P&O for that matter) is that when it was operating the route,it was hard to find anyone who had a good word to say about it. Now it's gone, it's become a sort of mystical, mythical beastie about which nothing bad is ever said! Folk sit and moan about the Northlink boats instead - "not built for these waters" is one constant moan, and the other is "these boats were only built for their resale value on Mediterranean ferry routes". And as many variations on those themes as you could ever work out. Which must come as a surprise to the highly qualified ship designers and engineers who specced the vessels in the light of all the safety regs which followed from various ferry disasters.


I have been glad as have many others that Pentland Ferries were operating on days Northlink were not, Stranded otherwise

Six and two threes; Northlink have a problem at Scrabster with northerlies and a problem in the Hoy Sound with northwesterlies. Pentland Ferries are completely protected from those wind directions, but can't dock at Gills if there's a strong easterly. It's rare the wind's doing both directions at once ;-) .


Not saying there's anything wrong being stranded in caithness couldn't think of a better place

........ I've whiled away many a long hour in the Seaview Hotel before now, and expect to again in the future. If there's good news associated with bad weather, the Seaview bar, most of the, er, characters :lol: in it and a good book is probably the best there is.

[Saxo01]

Just remember locals writing in the Orcadian many times about Northlinks winter cancellations on not too bad days usually when there hold wasn't very full, Not so good for a lifeline service, I have no interests whatsoever in either company, It cetainly cuts a trip south very short when you have to allow extra days just incase you don't get home its a help that there is the option of two boats though.