New ferry plan will see fares increase by up to 10%

Transport Correspondent

Thursday 20 December 2012

FERRY fares on lifeline routes to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree will increase by up to 10% next year, with even bigger hikes being considered during the busy summer season.

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DAMIEN HENDERSON Transport Correspondent

The reforms to the Road Equivalent Tariff scheme (RET) will help bring down fares for hauliers, following complaints that excluding them earlier this year had left island residents paying more for goods. The changes were announced as the Scottish Government published its long-awaited ferry plan, which will steer government policy until 2022.

The average fare on CalMac services to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree will go up by 8.2% at the start of the summer timetable next Easter. It brings them into line with fares on routes to Islay, Colonsay and Gigha, which have been included in the RET scheme since last October.Higher fares could be rolled out on services that have suffered overcrowding since RET – designed to ensure ferry users paid the same costs as road users – was first introduced as a pilot in 2008.This had led to car traffic increasing by 30%, the Scottish Government said. Introducing "demand management" – which would effectively price people off the busiest services – would be discussed with CalMac, but only introduced if agreed by the community.The plan has identified 15 new vessels that will be required between now and 2025 costing more than £295 million, with a further £73m earmarked for improvements to ports and harbours. Included in the blueprint are a new ferry service from Campbeltown to Ayrshire via Arran from next year, and the expansion of its flights to Glasgow to include weekends as a pilot over the next two summers.Transport Minister Keith Brown said the plan would deliver improved ferry services on a phased basis. He said: "Despite the financial pressures placed on us by Westminster, we are determined to make good on our promise to deliver improved ferry services on a progressive basis and the Final Ferries Plan will be our cornerstone in doing just that."The additional revenue generated by applying the updated RET formula for passengers, cars and small commercial vehicles will be reinvested in commercial vehicle fares, in order to reduce the impact of the removal of RET for commercial vehicles on services to the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree. We will also provide additional funding for commercial vehicles so that no fare will rise by more than 10% in 2013." The plan ignored calls for a ferry service between Lochboisdale in South Uist and Mallaig on the mainland to be reintroduced, with the Western Isles council leader describing the decision as a missed opportunity.Angus Campbell,said: "Whilst some of the Ferries Plan appears satisfactory, the document falls short of our communities' aspirations and is disappointing."Alan Reid, the Liberal Democrat MP for Argyll and Bute, said the fare increases were "daylight robbery".

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New ferry plan will see fares increase by up to 10%

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