NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd, a joint venture of Caledonian MacBrayne and Royal Bank of Scotland, is on course to take over the Northern Isles-mainland passenger/ freight ferry services from P & O Scottish Ferries at the end of September, when the latter operator's existing five year block grant subsidy (1997-2002) expires.
Northlink was set up when the services were put out to tender by the Scottish Executive in 1998 because of concern that P & OSF exercised too much power as the group also controls most of the inland trucking services. P & OSF bid on the tender in 2000, but was beaten by the new venture, whose CEO is John Horton....
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Approx 510 words from WorldCargo News, April 2002,
page 39.
