FARES for motorhomes are set to soar on CalMac ferries after demands from angry locals to end the loophole that saw the vehicles get heavily subsidised under a scheme for cheaper travel.

While general fares are rising by around 2 per cent, the road equivalent tariff (RET) formula applied to motorhomes will be adjusted, resulting in increases for motorhomes of around 50-70% next year.

RET is a distance-based fares structure after the Scottish Government committed to provide one single overarching fares policy across the country’s entire ferry network.

It is estimated that RET is now costing the Scottish Government around £25 million per annum in revenue support, of which around two-thirds is attributable to RET for vehicles less than six metres in length.

Many islanders are angry at the scheme as commercial vehicles are not included, which can send the cost of goods spiralling due to transport costs.

READ MORE: CalMac ban campervans and caravans from ferry queues

A small commercial van will still be charged three times the fare of a motorhome of the same size.

Transport Scotland admitted it was responding to feedback from islanders.

A spokesman said: “Plans for ferry fares for 2022 have recently been communicated to Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Stakeholder Groups and the Ferries Communities Board, and fares for individual routes will be available shortly on the CalMac website.

“In response to community feedback, the fares for motorhomes are being increased to begin to address the disparity with fares for commercial vehicles of equivalent length.”

About 25% of island residents made more ferry trips as a result of the policy, while some 40% of businesses reported an increase in turnover.

According to a report, RET also boosted the “visiting friends and relatives” market, while making it easier for island residents to access mainland goods and services.

Most islands have seen an extension of the tourism season, according to the report.

Overall, the rollout of RET has led to an estimated average fare reduction of 34% for passengers and 40% for car traffic on the CalMac network. It continues to save travellers around £25m a year. The move also comes after a travel lottery was in use for local residents getting on and off islands during parts of the summer.

It emerged some routes in the Outer Hebrides had little or no space for cars for more than three weeks.

Motorhomes, campervans and vehicles towing caravans were then no longer given a standby or waiting list position on all bookable routes – either at the reservation stage or on the day of sailing.

There had been reports of motorhomes parking in the standby queues at ferry terminals overnight.

A spokesman for Mull and Iona Ferry Committee said: “The increasing number of motorhomes on our ferries has been a source of many complaints, due to the large amount of deck space they take up.

“The inequity of subsidising independent motorhome travel to the islands with road equivalent tariff, while at the same time excluding all commercial traffic from RET, is difficult to defend.

“One of the major drivers of the rising island cost of living are ferry fares for delivery vehicles.

“It would seem to be imbalanced use of Government money to subsidise the travel of motorhomes to the islands, but not food deliveries.

“Motorhomes are welcome, but the first job of the ferry service is to provide a lifeline service to those who live on the island.

“The current system of fares and booking is simply not leaving enough of that scarce resource – car deck space – available for islanders who rely on CalMac ferries to provide a lifeline.”