Re-opened Uig pier will be closed to freight shock

Uig pier re-opening has already been deplayed.

Island hauliers were this evening (Wednesday) dealt another savage blow when it emerged that Thursday’s re-opening of Uig Pier on Skye will be only partial – with the temporary linkspan unable to carry a wide range of loads.

Some non-commercial vehicles are also affected and were being re-directed through Stornoway.

The Gazette has learned that the situation deteriorated further at 8 p.m on Wednesday when trials of the Uig linkspan failed and it is now possible that no freight at all will be routed through the port from Thursday. Further updates are awaited.

The initial news was broken at 5.30 p.m. and immediately forced the cancellation of traffic booked on routes between Uig-Lochmaddy and Uig-Tarbert. Rumours that there was a risk of re-opening being subject to restrictions had been denied by Caledonian MacBrayne.

It is understood that the company now feels that it was seriously misled by Highland Council, owners of Uig Pier, who maintained until the eleventh hour that there would be no need for restrictions.

Hauliers have been told that the loads which cannot be carried through Uig until a yet unspecified date are:

- Tankers (cement and gas)

- Car/4x4 towing a trailer

- Large Campervans

- Low loaders, step frame trailers

- Livestock lorries

- Long wheel base coaches

It is understood that as rumours spread in recent days, some hauliers told CalMac that it would be better to extend the temporary arrangements caused by the closure of Uig rather than “half-open” the Skye port before it was ready to take all traffic. Discussions around that option are believed to have continued until Wednesday afternoon before the decision was taken.

Island hauliers were shocked by the latest development. D.J. Buchanan, Benbecula, said: “We cannot continue to run our business in this way. We have now had to halt operations to and from the mainland tomorrow due to the restrictions imposed on this route.

“The businesses we provide services to will be let down and their customers too. We are too late to even advise them of the situation due to the late communications from Calmac.

“The knock on effect and impact of this last minute and poorly communicated decision is something businesses cannot continue to take. The damage done has to be recognised. Businesses cannot plan past the hour they are in as the ferry services are becoming so bad”.

David Wood of Woody’s in Stornoway said: “it is an unmitigated disaster and nothing more than we would expect. CalMac are blaming Highland Council in Uig but it is CalMac we have the contract with”.

The latest episode coincides with an initiative, revealed in this week’s Gazette, by hauliers throughout the CalMac network, from Arran and Islay to Uist and Lewis to form a Group which will work together to demand reliability of services and consider legal action.