CalMac ferry maintenance and repair costs almost treble in five years

The cost of repairing and maintaining Scotland’s publicly-owned ferry fleet has almost trebled in the past five years, figures show.

A freedom of information request from the Scottish Liberal Democrats found the cost of fixing CalMac-run ferries in 2018-19 was around £15.5m.

By 2023-24, that figure had increased to £41.2m. Between 2022-23 and last year, the figure almost doubled from £26.6m.

Repairs and maintenance of ferries has in total cost £147.8m since 2018-19.

CalMac has faced criticism in recent years over the reliability of its ageing vessels.

However, six new ferries are due to come into service in the coming years – including two over-budget and late vessels being built by Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the “old and battered” vessels in the fleet require more time and money to repair.

“The SNP’s ferries fiasco has left islanders without the lifeline services they need,” he said.

“They have been in power for 17 years. There is no-one to blame but themselves.

“This is not just an issue that matters to islanders. People across the country have been shocked by the SNP’s economic incompetence.

“The SNP have let people down for too long.

“Liberal Democrats want to get the basics right, make sure that islanders have access to the ferries they need, and rebuild our country’s economic reputation.”

A TS spokesperson said: “It is essential from a health and safety and reliability basis that maintenance and repairs are carried out where and when needed.

“With six new major vessels to serve Scotland’s ferry network by 2026, this will help alleviate the need for extensive repairs on older vessels. With the recent announcement around procurement of another seven small vessels, the ferry replacement programme will provide more reliability of service which is what islanders need and deserve.”