NORTH Ayrshire Council Leader Joe Cullinane is looking for answers from Arran ferry operator CalMac to serious questions he has over the operation of the service.

Mr Cullinane said: “There have been a lot of comments on the reliability of the Ardrossan to Brodick service – particularly in bad weather.

“But what isn’t clear is the rationale behind CalMac’s decision-making process on the occasions they decide to cancel sailings.

“It would also be useful to know who makes decisions and what informs their reasoning.

“I want CalMac to provide full details of how and when decisions are taken to withdraw sailings in response to forecasts of bad weather.

“I would also question the wisdom of scheduling the annual refit and dry-docking of the main vessel operating on the service – MV Caledonian Isles – for January when the incidence of poor weather is likely to be greatest.

“I am concerned too about the suitability of the type of vessel used to replace MV Caledonian Isles. The vessels used to provide equivalent capacity to the Caledonian Isles are both smaller and less powerful and, therefore, more likely to be subject to cancellation in poor weather.

“Another question I’d like answered is why are CalMac berthing vessels overnight in Brodick with the consequence that the first sailing in the morning has to be cancelled automatically?

“I think we need to know from CalMac the real reason services are diverted from Ardrossan and how that decision is made.

“North Ayrshire Council is committed to delivering a reliable ferry service for Arran residents and our plans for Ardrossan Harbour will fulfil that commitment, but we need to ensure CalMac are not making operational decisions that cause sailings to be cancelled unnecessarily.”

A CalMac spokesman said:""Any decision to cancel during periods of extreme weather is done solely on the basis of the safety of our passengers, crews and vessels. We fully understand the importance of our services to island communities so that decision is never taken lightly, but we know that our communities would expect us to put their safety first. 

"Refits are required annually and traditionally take place in the Winter when the routes are less busy. The deployment of vessels during the winter refit period is always a challenge and we do everything we can to maintain services with the resources available to us."