Wishart calls for more accessible cabins on Serco NorthLink ferries

Scottish Liberal Democrat and Shetland’s MSP, Beatrice Wishart, has today sent the first paper of a series highlighting important themes identified by respondents to Wishart’s recent Serco NorthLink booking survey to the Transport Minister, Fiona Hyslop MSP. Respondents raised issues when attempting to book accessible cabins.

Wishart is calling for a change in policy for booking accessible cabins and the creation of more accessible cabins. Wishart has also suggested that naval architects meet with those travellers with experience to help inform new ship design on accessibility.

Wishart’s survey attracted 200 responses within 24 hours and in less than two weeks over 1,000 people had completed the survey. Only 77 responses were received from those out with Shetland, and many of those were from Orkney and Aberdeen with connections to the isles, meaning that around 1 in 20 people currently resident in Shetland completed the questionnaire. Around 65% of respondents, over 650 people, also took the time to provide comments about the booking system and their wider experiences using the service.

Some of the comments about disability and accessible cabins included:

“Travel as a disabled person is extremely hard to organise.”

“Cannot use pods or recliners due to disability.”

“I am disabled and ideally need a space I can make sterile to administer medications.”

“Nowhere else in Britain would a disabled person be forced to endure this.”

Ms Wishart commented:

“I’d like to thank all who took part in my survey. I am not aware that Serco NorthLink Ferries, Transport Scotland or the Scottish Government have undertaken a survey of passengers on this scale, and I hope the results help to illustrate the needs of islanders and their views on the current arrangements. I believe the strength of the response to this survey demonstrates the deep concern in the community about the service.

“Responses from my survey show that passengers value the work of Serco NorthLink staff who try to accommodate passengers and their needs, but it highlights that bookings for accessible cabins are not always achievable for passengers with accessibility needs.

“We need a secure system that can allow those with accessibility needs to book a cabin without necessarily revealing their needs to a stranger. There needs to be enough accessible cabins available for those needing them on each passage.

“In the future we will need vessels that meet the needs of 21st century travel, but for now it should not be necessary to have to speak up, revealing intimate information about yourself, to secure the accommodation you need.”