CalMac maintenance soars 55% in a year to over £41m

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today revealed that the maintenance bill for the CalMac fleet has risen 55% in a year to over £41m as he said that the SNP have let down islanders for too long. 

Freedom of information requests submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats reveal that £41,235,000 was spent on maintenance costs in 2023/24, up from £26,555,000 in 2022/23. That means that nearly £150m has been spent on repairs and maintenance since the first of the delayed ferries under construction at the Ferguson shipyard were supposed to be running.

The request also revealed that more than £500,000 was spent on customer rights claims in 2023/24.

Commenting on the figures, Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“Old and battered boats are requiring more and more time and money to repair.

“The SNP’s ferries fiasco has left islanders without the lifeline services they need. They have been in power for 17 years. There is no one to blame but themselves.

“This is not just an issue that matters to islanders. People across the country have been shocked by the SNP’s economic incompetence.

“The SNP have let people down for too long. Liberal Democrats want to get the basics right, make sure that islanders have access to the ferries they need and rebuild our country’s economic reputation.”