Letter From Michael Russel to CalMac – Vessel Deployment

I am extremely concerned about the developing situation with particular regard to Islay , Campbeltown , Coll & Tiree  in my constituency.
Postponing the start of the advertised Campbeltown service is a retrograde step and is letting down a community which has worked hard to secure this service and wants to develop it.
The Coll & Tiree Community Council has already been in touch with your company pointing out not only the extreme difficulty the revised timetable will cause but also ( and rightly) complaining about the  manifest failure of the company to deal with the situation in a way which is effective and helpful.
The Islay position is even worse .  There are a number of major events on the island next month but the revised timetable and the on / off nature of the booking process is causing huge uncertainty and leading to a reluctance to travel by many potential visitors as well as some cancellations.  It is fair to say there is fury  on the island today and an explosion of social media criticism of the company .
This is all utterly  unnacrptable and solutions must be found now.  In addition the failures in planning with regard to the refit programme must be addressed with urgency.
The communities I represent need answers but most of all they need actual progress on  these issues today and I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Michael