Ferries taskforce to meet for first time since January

A time and place has been set for the next meeting of the group planning the renewal of the county’s ferries.

The Orkney Internal Ferry Replacement Taskforce has not met since January, but now Transport Scotland has provided an update, saying that it will meet again in August — this time in Orkney.

The taskforce was established in December last year, by then-deputy first minister John Swinney. Its purpose was to have a fleet replacement business plan ready for September this year, to be fed into the Scottish Government’s budget setting process.

After meeting only once at the start of the year, the lack of progress has been a source of frustration for Orkney Islands Council which, last month, said talks with the government had effectively stalled.

In an update to The Orcadian today (Sunday, July 16) a spokeswoman for Transport Scotland said the government “remains committed” to the taskforce.

She added: “The next meeting will be in August with Fiona Hyslop MSP, minister for transport, and will take place in Orkney.”

More in next week’s edition of The Orcadian.