Transport minister should face community in Orkney — Carmichael

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has called on the Scottish transport minister, Keith Brown MSP, to address the community about the absence of a replacement for Hamnavoe, the Scrabster-Stomness ferry which was taken out of service last Thursday.

Operator Serco has said that the vessel will be out of service for at least a month and they are considering replacements.

Mr Carmichael said: “The Scottish transport minister should have been in Orkney first thing on Monday morning to speak to the community about this increasingly farcical situation.

“Keith Brown has said he is ‘satisfied’ with the situation. That can only mean one thing — he does not know the truth of what is going on here. He is sitting in his office in Edinburgh ‘monitoring’ the situation which seems to mean that he is being briefed by his own officials and by Serco.

“I see nothing to make me think that either have a proper understanding of the situation facing the community in Orkney and everything to make me think that they are just telling him what he wants to hear.

“If he had bothered to speak to people in Orkney he would know that the complete absence of information here is causing problems to local people and businesses. The transport minister now must get up to Orkney and face the community. He needs to hear the truth from us and to act on it.”