Joe Reade, chairman of Mull and Iona ferry committee, said selling tickets on a first-come-first-served basis effectively meant the further ahead someone could plan a journey, the more likely they were to be given a space.
He said: “This means that tourists, who plan their journeys weeks or months ahead, are prioritised before islanders who simply cannot plan every shopping trip or family visit so far ahead of time.
“Islanders find themselves trapped during the summer months, unable to get a vehicle ticket because they’ve all been sold to tourists.”
Transport Scotland said it understood the impact of capacity constraints on islanders and appreciated the suggestion of some level of prioritisation.Â
It said there were differing views on resolving the problem, but it had to be mindful of wider implications for island businesses by restricting availability of tickets for freight and tourists.
A spokesman said: “It is clear that we need a ferry service that meets the needs of island communities. CalMac Ferries Limited and Transport Scotland are looking at potential short-term measures that could be introduced to help alleviate the current capacity challenges.”
