Tha ScotRail gu bhith a’ tighinn a-steach dhan roinn phoblaich air a’ chiad latha den Ghiblean- latha mòr do dh’Alba agus do na rathaidean-iarainn.
Tha Ministear na Còmhdhail, Jenny Gilruth BPA, air “còmhradh nàiseanta” a thòiseachadh le BPA mun t-seirbheis ùir agus tha i air air iarraidh air buill bho na diofar phàrtaidhean fios a chur thuige mu na tha iad ag iarraidh bhon ScotRail ùr.
Tha seo na dheagh chothrom gus cùis na Gàidhlig a thogail.
Tha ScotRail air a bhith fìor mhath a thaobh soidhnichean dà-chànanach ann an stèiseanan ach aig an ìre seo, chan eil iad a’ dèanamh dad a bharrachd – m.e chan eil sgeul air tiocaidean air innealan thiocaidean, meadhanan sòisealta, soidhnichean seach soidhnichean le ainmean-àite, clàraidhean fuaim, teachdaireachdan air sgrìnichean is eile.
Tha e doirbh smaoineachadh air mòran sheirbheisean poblach a bhios an uiread de dhaoine le Gàidhlig a chelachdadh gach latha ris na rathaidean-iarainn. Le ScotRail a’ tighinn a-steach dhan roinn phoblaich, tha an t-àm ann airson seirbheis cheart do luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig.
Tha an “còmradh nàiseanta” seo a’ toirt cothrom dhuinn na beachdan againn a chur a-steach dhan Mhinistear tro na BPA againn.
Seo na sgrìobh mi ri mo BPA sgìreil agam na bu thràithe an-diugh. Ma sgrìobhas tu fhèin ri do BhPA agus ma gheibh thu freagairt, leig fios!
I am writing to you in your capacity as my constituency MSP regarding ScotRail.
I noted with interest the Transport Minister’s recent Ministerial Statement in which she said she intended to conduct a national conversation with MSPs on the new publicly owned ScotRail.
I writing to ask if you would be so good as to feed some views into the Transport Minister as part of this national conversation with regard to Gaelic.
I feel that is vital that the new ScotRail should develop a Gaelic policy as soon as possible. ScotRail’s bilingual signs have been hugely important in raising awareness of Gaelic and are very welcome indeed. Other than this, however, ScotRail has made no provision for Gaelic to date. This is not appropriate for an important public service which tens of thousands of Gaelic speakers and learners use every day.
The tender spec for the current ScotRail franchise contains a section relating to Gaelic as you can see below.
However, as far as I can ascertain, no such provision has been made by Abellio in practice.
I contacted the ScotRail call centre a few years ago asking about Gaelic provision and it seems that the only provision which they made was to answer written correspondence – I think by mail only. This obviously excludes issues such social media, the availability of Gaelic on ticket machines, recorded messages and other areas where Gaelic services might be expected. For a publicly owned ScotRail, the Gaelic community and Scotland as a whole deserve better.
For this reason, I would like to suggest that the new ScotRail draw up a Gaelic Language Plan and should enter into immediate discussion with Bòrd na Gàidhlig on this matter. As legislation is not required for the new ScotRail, I would suggest that the Minister instructs ScotRail to develop a voluntary Gaelic plan with Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
I would be much obliged if you could raise this matter with the Transport Minister and the Minister for Gaelic.
I am also copying Bòrd na Gàidhlig into this correspondence for their information.
Alasdair
Trèanaichean, tramaichean is tràilidhean 
Bhiodh e math nan cuireadh Scotrail cuideam air luchd-obrach aig a bheil comas-labhairt ann an Gàidhlig, an dà chuid air na trèanaichean fhèin, agus aig na stèiseanan far a bheil luchd-obrach fhathast ann. Mar chuideigin a tha dèidheil air trèanaichean mar dhòigh-siubhail, nuair a gheibh mi cothrom, ’s e briseadh-dùil a th’ ann nach eil Scotrail a’ dèanamh oidhirp a thaobh obraichean ‘Gaelic essential’. Saoilidh mi nach eil iad fiù ’s a’ bodrigeadh, glè thric, le obraichean ‘Gaelic desirable’.
Ged a tha gnothaichean a thaobh tiocaidean air gluasad, gu ìre-mhòr, air-loidhne neo gu ‘inneal’ ann an stèisean, tha iomadach suidheachadh ann far am feum thu bruidhinn ri cuideigin aghaidh ri aghaidh, neo ann an còmhradh air-loidhne/air a’ fòn. Bu chòir Gàidhlig a bhith aig na luchd-reic ann an àiteachan far a bheil luchd na Gàidhlig a’ tadhal.
Agus, ged a tha na maighstirean-rèile a’ feuchainn, cha mhòr a h-uile bliadhna, gus cur às do na luchd-obrach air na trèanaichean – seall mar a bha iad a’ feuchainn ri cur às do na conductors (gnothach nàire) bho chionn ghoirid – tha e feumail conductors a bhith air na trèanaichean, airson adhbharan-fiosrachaidh, sàbhailteachd neo ma thig gnothach sam bith ceàrr.
Mu dheireadh, na seirbhisean catering. Tha iad sin ‘contracted’ neo ‘outsourced’, mar a tha fhios againn, ach dh’fhaodadh Scotrail fhathast deanamh cinnteach gu robh comas-labhairt ann an Gàidhlig mar phàirt de dh’aonta sam bith eadar iad fhein agus na companaidhean a tha soirbheachail ann an ‘tender’ ceangailte ri catering air na trèanaichean. Tha mi cinnteach gu feum na companaidhean sin dearbhadh a dheanamh air mar a tha iad a’ deiligeadh ri ‘Equality, Diversity agus Inclusion’, agus mar sin, dh’fhaodadh iad dearbhadh a thoirt seachad air mar a tha iad a thaobh na Gàidhlig. Ma tha mise gu bhith a’ pàigheadh airgead gun chiall airson a’ chofaidh as miosa an Alba, tha mi airson a dhèanamh tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig!
Tha iomadh cothrom ann. Bu chòir do Scotrail barrachd oidhirp a dhèanamh obraichean de gach seòrsa a thoirt do dhaoine a tha fileanta ann an Gàidhlig.
'S toil'S toil