A Scottish Government select committee have slammed the boards of CMAL (Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (and CALMAC) as being unfit for purpose.
Both are departments of the Scottish Government. CMAL order and pay for the ships and then lease them to the operating division for operation.
The committee looked at various aspects of the tendering process before coming to their final conclusions.
1) A company that builds catamaran ships was prepared to licence FMEL (Shipbuilder) in order that they could offer the catamaran type of vessel for the new builds 801 and 802, which are four years late in handover. CMAL rejected the idea of including this type of ship.
2) Similar ships built for rival ferry company Western Ferries were constructed and handed over on time at less than 50% of CMAL costs.
3) CMAL ships are over specified for the jobs that they do, thus leading to increased costs.
4) A number of ferries were compared in cost, delivery and value for money, in every single instance the Nationalised company ships specification were over the top and wee not good value in comparison with the ships ordered for private operators.
5) Specifications for the two new ships under construction were described as being vague and cumbersome and incomplete on the final details.
A damming report on the two state owned bodies and also reflects on the SG and its use of taxpayers money.
Vic