Please find the response TCC sent to CalMac below.

The representations in the letter are based on the 25 responses we received to our own survey. Of these 25, 84% of these were island residents; the notable exceptions being tourism business owners and a Coll resident.

Letter to CalMac in Response to Terms and Conditions Consultation – 7.6.22

While some respondents felt that the proposed changes were reasonable; the majority (75%) were against the changes.

Among the reasons cited were that the measures feel disproportionate for the Tiree-Coll route specifically, where no-shows are less common. Many respondents also drew attention to the fact that the lack of refund for short-notice cancellations is counterintuitive to the policy’s aims – without incentive to cancel, no-shows and ineffective use of deck space will remain an issue.

Specific concerns were also raised about how the policy may disproportionately affect crofting communities, where moving livestock brings a host of additional considerations.

We hope that this feedback will inform discussion going forward, and would like to thank those who filled out the survey.