By Lars Niven

PHIL FLANDERS, Scottish director of the Road Haulage Association, said he and a lot of other hauliers were gutted by the Superfast decision

“It’s another kick in the teeth,” Mr Flanders said. “It’s been on the cards since Superfast were taken over by an investment company.

“This is like a wee train set to them.”

He predicted if a replacement operator wasn’t found soon hauliers might never go back to using a ferry service from Scotland.

Mr Flanders added, “This news will come as a tremendous blow to the hundreds of haulage operators for whom the Superfast ferry route to the Continent has become, literally, a vital lifeline.”

He added, “This closure will have a serious affect on Scottish hauliers who will now have to travel many miles south before the continental leg of their journey even begins.

“The knock-on effects will include increased journey times and a vast increase in fuel costs.

“It is inevitable that the Superfast closure will inevitably mark the end of the road for many of our vital, smaller operators and we will be seeking assurance that the Government and the port operators will bring in a replacement service as soon as possible.”

The East of Scotland Region of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) last night expressed its disappointment at the loss of the Superfast Ferries service.

Chairman Graham Russell said, “We hear that the Scottish Government is negotiating with other operators to try to replace the ferry route. We fervently hope that these talks come to a positive conclusion.

“Each ferry can carry more than 1000 passengers, 120 cars and 100 commercial vehicles, therefore to lose the Rosyth-Zeebrugge gateway with continental Europe is a grievous blow to the Scottish economy.

“This will undoubtedly impact on Scottish business and on Scottish tourism and the announcement is a devastating blow to the local economy.”

CBI Scotland’s assistant director David Lonsdale said, “As a nation on the periphery of major export markets in Europe it is crucial that Scotland maintains excellent transport links to the continent.

“The Superfast ferry has made a significant contribution to this over recent years and it would be a great loss if that service was to cease, as it would reduce the range of affordable, practical and reliable transport options open to freight operators and manufacturers.”

Hank John, who owns Caledonia Travel in Inverkeithing, said, “I am disappointed to the point of being devastated about it.

“For us here in Fife it is worse than losing Concorde. Many, many people have enjoyed the service and suddenly it’s not there.”

Mr John was one of the first in the travel industry in Fife to fully appreciate the benefits the service would bring. He said, “It has been very important because we masterminded a lot of the packages.

“One of the first things I did was to go to Belgium to explore Bruges, Brussels and Ghent to look at the business possibilities.”

David Chalmers, of the Fife branch of the FSB, said, “Having been the only Scottish business organisation to lobby in Brussels for the ferry link to be established, we are disappointed in the extreme to learn that it will cease in September.

“It will undoubtedly impact on the Fife tourist market at a time when many initiatives are under way to grow it. It will also have a big impact on the road haulage industry with vehicles being forced to travel much further south to gain access to Europe and ever increasing fuel costs.

“It has to be hoped that the Minister for Transport in the Scottish Government can come up with another operator as soon as possible, or the damage to the Fife and Scottish economies could be deep and long-lasting.”