McArthur attacks ferry cuts options (Dumbarton Liberal Democrats)

Dumbarton Liberal Democrats <anisbet@aniscon.com>

McArthur attacks ferry cuts options

July 30, 2010 3:04 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Commenting on the list of cost cutting options offered by the Scottish Government, which they want users of the NorthLink services to the Northern isles to consider, Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur said that the options offered were unattractive and accused the Government of failing to recognise the lifeline nature of the ferry services.

Liam McArthur said;

"None of the options offered are in the least attractive. They show that the Government still does not properly recognise the lifeline nature of these services. If they proposed stopping gritting trunk roads in the winter, so that often the roads were closed, or if they planned to make all bus and rail services in the south run at much slower speeds, there would be justified outrage. But what they are proposing here would have the same impact on the islands' vital lifeline links.

"The only positive thing is that at least this time they are consulting on this. When they first planned to cut and slow down the service they were only stopped from just imposing the changes by the uproar the news rightly created.

"No-one disputes that we face hard choices over public services cuts, but cutting what is already inevitably a limited lifeline service has to be the last resort."