The firm behind the freight ferry service between Scotland and Europe is preparing to scrap the route and pull out of Rosyth, a leading politician has claimed.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie believes DFDS Seaways, which stopped passenger services in December, is attempting to wind down the freight operation so it can focus on a similar service it runs from Newcastle.
A pullout would hit haulage businesses and their customers across Scotland.
The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP is calling on the Scottish Government to take “urgent action” to secure the long-term future of the route, which he believes is vital for the Fife and Scottish economies.
The shock claim comes just weeks after DFDS cut weekly freight sailings from four to three.
“I am deeply concerned that operators DFDS are running down the Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry service they seem more interested in promoting their own Newcastle routes than growing the service from Rosyth,” Mr Rennie said.
“We’ve already seen a reduction at Rosyth and it would be travesty if the government were to stand idly by whilst the remaining service was shut down.
“The Scottish Government must take urgent action to retain this vital link with Europe. I am pressing the government to step in and quickly.”
Tony Martin, chairman of Fife’s environment, enterprise and transport committee, said DFDS Seaway’s commitment to the route was “half hearted.”
“South East of Scotland Transport Partnership have said they have concerns. I know the Scottish Government are also concerned about the long-term future of this route.
“We need to make sure that the operators are fully committed and are going to support this route and make it successful.”
Since passenger services from Rosyth stopped in December, DFDS Seaways has extensively marketed its passenger services from Newcastle in Scotland.
There are concerns the firm is planning a similar move with its freight services, which could be moved to Newcastle as a cost-cutting move.
But Alan Hull, route director of DFDS Seaways, rejected those rumours, saying the decision to reduce sailings reflected a lower-than-expected demand for the service since the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route was changed in December.
Two freight ships providing four crossings a week were initially introduced to replace the previous combined Scottish Viking freight and passenger service.
“We are committed to the route but obviously we need to make it profitable,” he said. “If it’s not running profitably we will have to change the schedule.
“We reduced the services due to the volume of custom, but I don’t know where the suggestions we are running down the services have come from.”
Local concern was expressed when the passenger Scottish Viking ferry service was withdrawn in December.
That announcement led to transport minister Keith Brown writing to DFDS Seaways to ask about the possibility of having it reinstated.
The firm stressed the schedules have been safeguarded to accommodate demands of key haulage operators.
A spokeswoman for Transport Scotland said, “Any decision to restore a passenger element on its service is entirely a commercial matter for DFDS.”