Post by ferryfast admin on Mar 13, 2006 18:21:45 GMT -5
Mon 13 Mar 2006
Northern Ireland ferry bid relaunch
The Scotsman
news.scotsman.com/
A final attempt is to be made to set up a new ferry service linking Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Hopes of a new ferry service between Campbeltown in Kintyre and Ballycastle in County Antrim appeared doomed in January when no takers came forward for the route.
A £1 million per year subsidy to operate the service was offered by the Executive and the Northern Ireland administration.
Four firms were invited to tender but none put in a bid.
An unsubsidised summer-only service ran for three years up to 1999 but ended after "unsustainable" losses, and a tendering exercise in 2002 failed to produce a response.
The Executive and Northern Ireland Office later agreed to go out to tender again, with the offer of a subsidy split 70-30 between Edinburgh and Belfast for the five years of the contract period.
Transport minister Tavish Scott admitted the Executive was "disappointed" there had been no tenders.
"The Executive is aware of the strong support for the reinstatement of the service voiced in both Kintyre and Antrim and of the local disappointment at the outcome of the tendering process," he said.
"The Executive has therefore agreed with the Northern Ireland administration that a final effort should be made to identify any potential ferry operator interested in submitting a tender to provide the service under a negotiated procedure."
This was permitted under the rules, provided an operator met the original qualifying rules and providing a tender complied with the original terms, he said.
Last updated: 13-Mar-06 21:50 GMT
Northern Ireland ferry bid relaunch
The Scotsman
news.scotsman.com/
A final attempt is to be made to set up a new ferry service linking Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Hopes of a new ferry service between Campbeltown in Kintyre and Ballycastle in County Antrim appeared doomed in January when no takers came forward for the route.
A £1 million per year subsidy to operate the service was offered by the Executive and the Northern Ireland administration.
Four firms were invited to tender but none put in a bid.
An unsubsidised summer-only service ran for three years up to 1999 but ended after "unsustainable" losses, and a tendering exercise in 2002 failed to produce a response.
The Executive and Northern Ireland Office later agreed to go out to tender again, with the offer of a subsidy split 70-30 between Edinburgh and Belfast for the five years of the contract period.
Transport minister Tavish Scott admitted the Executive was "disappointed" there had been no tenders.
"The Executive is aware of the strong support for the reinstatement of the service voiced in both Kintyre and Antrim and of the local disappointment at the outcome of the tendering process," he said.
"The Executive has therefore agreed with the Northern Ireland administration that a final effort should be made to identify any potential ferry operator interested in submitting a tender to provide the service under a negotiated procedure."
This was permitted under the rules, provided an operator met the original qualifying rules and providing a tender complied with the original terms, he said.
Last updated: 13-Mar-06 21:50 GMT