Treating ferries as part of roads system is the way forward for Scottish islands

Scotland's remote and fragile communities have long expressed concerns over the affordability of ferry travel and its impact on islanders (your report, 27 February). That is why the Scottish Government is considering the benefits of introducing a road equivalent tariff (RET) to deliver cheaper travel for islands, tourists and businesses across the country.

From October, a 30-month RET pilot scheme in the Western Isles will run as a test case to pave the way for cheaper fares for all our island communities.

The pilot will result in a cut in fares of up to 50 per cent and will be monitored closely as this government believes RET is a vision for the future of ferry fares, opening the door to a fairer and cheaper system for every ferry user in Scotland.

In the meantime, we have put resources in place to provide continued support for ferry services in the Northern Isles. The three NorthLink Orkney and Shetland ferry services currently receive 31 million each year.

We recently announced that a further 1 million had been added to Orkney's local government settlement to provide revenue support towards the cost of its internal ferry services.

STEWART STEVENSON MSP

Transport minister

Scottish Parliament

People in the Western Isles, have been waiting the best part of 40 years to see their ferry routes treated as part of the national roads network and priced accordingly.

So, I don't think Scotland grudges the decision of the Scottish government to honour its manifesto pledge to pilot road equivalent tariff (RET) fares in the Western Isles from this October.

The Western Isles, if we want them to continue to be inhabited, have to be able to compete economically. This is simply not possible as long as it costs 264.43 to get a lorry one way across the Minch to Stornoway and 81 one way to get a tourist in Oban to visit Barra in their car.

I want to see other islands in Scotland get a fair deal too, but a pilot can by definition only be held in one part of the country, and the politicians presently denouncing the western isles for getting RET might want to consider how their parties' comments are being received here at the moment.

ALASDAIR ALLAN MSP

Bayhead

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

The Western Isles are among Scotland's most deprived areas in terms of employment prospects, depopulation and remoteness from mainstream transport – surely the ideal place to introduce a pilot scheme for RET.

Not apparently in the eyes of representatives from the Northern Isles.

Orkney and Shetland Councils are, and have been for many years, in receipt of millions of pounds from the oil companies. Have they ever used this money to subsidise the ferry transport costs for Orkney and Shetland residents? Have their Lib Dem members of the Westminster and Holyrood parliaments ever put forward an RET scheme for the Scottish islands?

The politics of greed and envy shown by the opponents of the Western Isles RET scheme are a disgrace.

WILLIAM DOUGLAS

Nether Auldhouse Road

Glasgow

Shetlanders should be wary of complaining that the trial ferry fare reductions announced by the Scottish Government discriminate in favour of the Western Isles. If the road equivalent tariff were introduced on the Aberdeen – Lerwick route the peak one-way charge for a car would rise from the current 116.60 to around 140.

R J RITCHIE

Cecil Street

Stirling