Petrol Shortage on Isle of Tiree Linked to Ferry Limitations
The sole filling station on the Isle of Tiree is nearing depletion of its petrol supply because the ferry servicing the island lacks sufficient capacity to transport a fuel tanker.
The Crosspol Filling Station, managed by the community trust, has implemented a £25 limit on petrol purchases to manage the limited fuel availability.
This situation arose after the usual vessel serving Tiree, the MV Clansman, was reassigned to a different route and replaced by the smaller MV Isle of Mull.
Ferry operator CalMac acknowledged the issue and stated they are actively seeking a resolution.
These developments follow an admission by the company approximately one month ago that nearly one-third of its ferry fleet serving the Clyde coast and islands was out of service.
Several ferries have required unplanned repairs, while others have been undergoing scheduled maintenance.
Community Response and Ferry Details
Phil Meyer, representing the Tiree Community Development Trust, indicated that the potential for fuel supply challenges was anticipated when informed that the MV Isle of Mull would substitute the MV Clansman on the route between Tiree and Oban.
The MV Isle of Mull is smaller than the MV Clansman, which was redirected to cover the Uig (Skye) to Tarbert (Harris) route.
"When it started it was only supposed to be for a couple of weeks and that was fine because there had been a petrol delivery not long ago."
"But more recently we've started raising the alarm because if this goes on for any longer, we're going to have real problems and it just kept happening."
"We've got to the point where we are just about out of petrol. It would be fair to say that the patience and tolerance has started to wear thin for a lot of people."
The trust has indicated that, if necessary, remaining fuel stock would be reserved for emergency services and essential workers.
There is hope for another fuel delivery within the current week.
CalMac's Statement on the Situation
A CalMac spokesperson commented:
"The Tiree service has been operated by a vessel with smaller capacity while there has been widespread network disruption.
We are aware that this has led to problems with fuel deliveries to the island, and we are working closely with the local community to find a solution to this."
