|
Post by ferryfast admin on Mar 14, 2006 18:36:13 GMT -5
Last chance for Argyll to Ireland ferry
JOHN ROSS news.scotsman.com/ THE Scottish Executive is to make a final attempt at restarting a ferry service between Argyll and Northern Ireland - despite no-one offering to run it.
The project appeared to be dead in the water in January after no bids were received for a second time to operate the Campbeltown-Ballycastle service, but Tavish Scott, the transport minister, yesterday said efforts were still under way to identify a possible operator.
He said: "A ferry service linking Campbeltown and Ballycastle would create new opportunities for business and tourism between Argyll and Moyle."
An unsubsidised summer-only service ran for three years between 1997 and 1999 before being withdrawn after suffering heavy losses.
Since then, efforts have been made to reinstate it, although a tender offer in 2002 received no bids, despite the prospect of a £1-million-a-year public subsidy for five years.
Business and tourism groups on both sides of the water backed a new service, with hopes that it would bring jobs.
This article: news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=379132006
Last updated: 14-Mar-06 01:30 GMT
|
|