ISLANDERS depend on their ferry services – but they also need to know when boats are cancelled. Here, CalMac responds to a reader from Lewis who found it difficult to get up- to-date information.
Q. Confusion reigned on the Ullapool-Stornoway route on Friday. 25 January.
Caledonian MacBrayne’s “service status” website – colour-coded Green for Go, Amber for Delays, Red for Cancelled, was Green for Go. I told my husband, who was unsure whether to attempt the snowy and hazardous route through from Nigg. Later I heard that the MV Hebrides had replaced the MV Isle of Lewis and had not made the voyage across the Minch. I phoned Caledonian MacBrayne’s office to be told by recorded message that the ferry was cancelled.
I phoned my husband, who had to make a return journey in worsening conditions. Later I discovered the MV Isle of Lewis had made the voyage. What is going on?
AD, Stornoway
A. A spokesman for CalMac writes: “We are very aware of the need to keep customers up-to-date and have many different methods of doing so: the online service status at www.calmac.co.uk, smartphone apps for iPhones and Android devices and a free route-specific SMS text service. There is also a recorded message phone line and, of course, customers can also contact port offices. Information is also issued to media for use in radio and TV.
“We are aware of this customer’s issue and are currently investigating it. Initial findings are that all of the main sources of information above were operating correctly but regrettably the phone line was not up-to-date, although there was a date included that would have indicated it was an old message.
“We appreciate that this is of little consolation to the customer and her husband and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
• If you have a consumer issue that you would like tackling contact Claire Smith on 0131 620 8511 or e-mail csmith@scotsman.com.