IN THE latest chapter of the long-running saga of the Dunoon-Gourock ferry tender process, four companies have responded to the pre-qualification stage and, the Scottish government revealed this week,  ‘suitable’ used vessels are available.
Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson asked CMAL last November, as the first stage of the tender process was launched, to check if suitable second-hand vehicles were available on world markets.
After confirming that it was unable to give the names of the interested companies, a Scottish government spokeswoman said: “CMAL did investigate the vessel market at the time of the Minister’s request: this revealed that suitable second-hand tonnage was available. CMAL continue to monitor the ferry market for suitable vessels.”
Asked if the phrase ‘suitable second-hand tonnage’ meant vessels which carry vehicles and passengers, the spokeswoman responded: “The term ‘second-hand tonnage’ includes tonnage that can carry vehicles.”
CMAL (Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd) is the Scottish government-owned company which owns the ferries, ports and harbours and infrastructure of Scotland’s state-owned ferry operations. It’s mission is ‘to provide, safeguard, and develop ferries and harbours.’
The spokeswoman continued: “In addition, the maritime technical experts providing advice to the Scottish government in this procurement exercise have also been searching the new and used ferry market.  All of the information and details collected will be provided to tenderers.”
“It will be for each bidder for the Gourock-Dunoon contract to bring forward vessel solutions appropriate to the services they are proposing to run. All bidders will have the same access to the second-hand and charter markets as CMAL and the Scottish government’s maritime technical experts.
“Until bids are received and assessed, it is impossible to say whether CMAL will have an ongoing role in providing vessels for this route.”
The Scottish government is committed to having an unrestricted town centre-to-town centre ferry service in operation on the Gourock-Dunoon route by the end of June next year.
It has – once again – failed to answer the big question however: Will the new Gourock-Dunoon service carry vehicles, or only people?

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