Timetable, essential and urgent travel

The Strategic Approach paper notes that as ferry travel has become more popular, on some services it has become more difficult to accommodate short-notice demand for essential vehicle travel by island residents and key workers.

Around 160 respondents answered Question 8, albeit some of the comments considered the wider issues relating to vehicle space on ferries. This included a number of respondents suggesting that the focus should instead be on providing more capacity and meeting demand. It was suggested that, if ferry capacity was sufficient and provided flexibility, the operator would not have these issues in accommodating demand and emergency travel.

An associated concern was that failing to meet demand is damaging to both communities and economic growth. In terms of the local economy, it was suggested that the visitor economy is very important for the future sustainability of many island communities, and that tourists and visitors are often dependent on using vehicles, including because they have luggage.

There was also a view that addressing barriers relating to connectivity (the focus of the next question) would at least make it easier for people to travel without their cars. The issue of RET fares was also highlighted and there were calls for only islanders to be eligible for this rate. Questions 16 to 19 cover fares in more detail.

Urgent travel vehicle spaces

While respondents were most likely to comment on facilitating short-notice or urgent/emergency travel with a vehicle, others called for a more general priority for islanders, particularly during busy periods.

Most of the suggestions were focused on accessing spaces to travel under certain circumstances and generally at short notice. There was reference to emergency or urgent travel spaces being made available for:

• Islanders attending medical appointments, supporting someone attending a medical appointment, visiting family members in mainland hospitals or care homes, the bereaved and those attending a funeral.
• Disabled passengers.
• Key workers.
• People travelling with a vehicle for business-critical needs, such as crofters.
• Unplanned commercial traffic, such as that relating to urgent maintenance and repair work.

A community council respondent that existing medical protocol and advanced standby approaches have been welcome, and should be promoted more widely, but also that arrangements going forward will require careful consideration. A regional transport partnership respondent commented that defining what constitutes ‘essential’ vehicle travel may be challenging in the extreme, but that it would be vital to have a fair and transparent mechanism for island residents and key workers to be able to book spaces. Other comments or suggestions included that:

• The criteria and decision making must be managed locally.
• A full definition of key workers will be required.
• There should be a dedicated, urgent booking phone number or it should otherwise be made easier for port staff to prioritise ferry users with urgent needs.

Some respondents favoured reserving a proportion of spaces on each crossing for emergency or essential travel, with the space then released if not needed. Specific ideas included:

• Keeping 5% of vehicle space available until within 24 hours of departure.
• Holding back up to five vehicle spaces on larger vessels and one or two on smaller vessels, during high season on the most popular routes.
• Releasing some of the reserved spaces to general sale as the date of travel approaches.
• Implementing a dynamic allocation system that adjusts the availability of vehicle space based on real-time demand and capacity constraints. This allows ferry operators to release additional vehicle space closer to the travel date if capacity allows, while ensuring that essential travellers have priority access.

There was also a suggestion that in emergency situations with a fully booked ferry, traffic should be offered compensation to give up space, similar to airline practices.

Finally, the challenges associated with holding space and managing urgent travel on a non-bookable service were highlighted, including, for example that additional separate queuing facilities may be required at ports/slips and that any arrangements would need to be clearly and fairly communicated and administered.

Priority booking or staged release

Other comments pointed to some form of general priority reservation or booking system for island residents, essential service providers or emergency vehicles. There were also references to commercial vehicles transporting essential goods.

In terms of possible approaches, it was reported that Coll is currently part of a pilot scheme that reserves deck space up to seven days prior to travel but that, at present, it is not restricted in any way to island residents; a community council respondent suggested that the scheme should continue but must be developed to help those island communities that want to have their travel needs prioritised at all times of the year. Another community council respondent also thought the pilot scheme is a viable proposition but called for it to be tailored to each route. The example they gave was that the Islay community might favour a two-day deck space release, whilst Tiree would much prefer a seven-day release requirement.

Other respondents also favoured offering island residents an advance booking window, allowing them to reserve vehicle space in advance of their travel date. It was also suggested that priority booking should be available to haulage for island-based businesses, especially those in agriculture. In terms of the proportion of spaces to which any advance booking window should apply, specific suggestions included that:

• There should be a staggered release of space on car decks: 70% in the beginning, then 20% the month before and the last 10% in the week before the sailing.
• 30% of all tickets being reserved for ferry users who can prove island residency.
• The proportion of spaces covered under a priority booking system could vary to take account of key events, such as livestock sales.
• Keeping a certain meterage unbookable, so that it can only be booked on the day, on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

Others also favoured a proportion of spaces only being available as standby, with a specific proposal to establish a standby management system for residents who are unable to secure vehicle space during the initial booking process.

There were also references to having waiting lists, including that if set aside spaces on a sailing are released for general sale as the date of sailing approaches, there needs to be a fair way of allocating these additional spaces to people that have previously tried to book the sailing. It was reported that under the old booking system, the process of waitlisting for a sailing worked well but that it is no longer possible. An energy business respondent also commented that bringing back a waitlist system (on to which they would be allowed) would help manage ‘no shows’ and cancellations that happen on the day. They reported that there have been numerous occasions where they have had to put their teams on as foot passengers without their vans only to discover that the ferries are sailing with half empty vehicle decks.

Other booking management suggestions

Reflecting the issue about holding a waiting list, a public body respondent thought that there is an urgent need to ensure that all remaining snagging issues with the new CalMac booking system are dealt with in order that the new system can effectively maximise utilisation of vehicle deck space on vessels.

There were also concerns about the functionality and accessibility of the electronic booking systems; for example, an individual respondent reported that the online system often says a ferry is fully booked, but spaces are available when they call the office. Others also observed that some vessels are sailing partly empty, because the booking system shows the vessel as ‘full and unable to book’ even when it has available space.

Another issue identified was that booking ahead is limited by the timing of the Scottish Government’s approval of fares; it was suggested that it would be helpful if the booking process was not limited to the period that fares have been approved for (which limits forward booking) and if the system had the capacity to adjust charges to users if they change subsequent to a booking having been made.

Other suggestions had a customer experience and improvement focus. They included:

• Providing clear and transparent information about the booking process, eligibility criteria, availability of vehicle space, and any changes or updates to ferry schedules.
• Establishing a feedback mechanism for ferry users to provide input and suggestions regarding the booking process, including their experiences, challenges, and recommendations for improvement. Using feedback to refine and optimise the booking system over time.
• Working closely with local authorities, other community representatives, and relevant stakeholders to tailor the booking process to the unique needs and circumstances of each island community.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the booking process regularly through data analysis, passenger surveys, and stakeholder consultations. Identify areas for improvement and implement adjustments to enhance the efficiency, fairness, and accessibility of the system.