Background: Project Neptune

In March 2021, Transport Scotland commissioned EY to undertake an independent review of ferry governance arrangements among the tripartite of Transport Scotland (TS), Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) and David MacBrayne Limited (DML) and its subsidiaries. 

The review, known as Project Neptune, focussed principally on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) network and was published on 8th September 2022. The Minister for Transport made a Parliamentary Statement on the same day to announce the report and set out its key findings. During that debate she made it clear that the report’s conclusions require detailed consideration and that engagement with island communities and ferry users would be key.