Major ferry fares hike revealed as 5 times more than sought by CalMac and NorthLink

Ministers increased ferry fares by five times as much as operators CalMac and NorthLink had sought under their contracts, a freedom of information response has revealed.

The Scottish Government companies had expected a 2 per cent rise in ticket prices this year in line with the inflation rate as part of their contracts, but Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop decided instead to hike fares by 10 per cent.

CalMac’s newest ferry Glen Sannox undergoing berthing trials at Brodick on Arran in October ahead of entering passenger service on the route next week | Adam Brown/CalMac

A government briefing note obtained by Scottish Labour noted "the significant and ongoing fiscal pressures facing ministers necessitate recommending a 10 per cent increase".

It accepted the increase would be difficult but said it would recoup money used to freeze fares in previous years.

The note stated: “The contracts state that consumer price inflation (CPI) in the reference month of May each year should be used as the basis for the fares revision for the following year.

“The 12 month CPI rate in May 2024 was 2 per cent. Accordingly, we have received letters from CalMac and NorthLink requesting approval for a fares increase of 2 per cent.”

The 10 per cent increase, announced in October, came into effect on NorthLink’s routes to Orkney and Shetland on New Year’s Day, and will be introduced across CalMac’s west coast network from the start of its summer timetable on March 28.

The 10 per cent hike will mean the cost of taking a car on CalMac’s busiest route, to Brodick in Arran, will increase from £18.60 to £20.50, rather than £19 if the rise had been limited to 2 per cent.

A similar fare between Stornoway and Ullapool will rise from £60.65 to £66.75 rather than £61.90.

On NorthLink, the car cost between Aberdeen and Lerwick in Shetland has gone up from £138 to £151.80 instead of £140.76.

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Scottish Labour islands spokeswoman Rhoda Grant said: "These bombshell documents show it was SNP ministers who chose to inflict eyewatering fare hikes on long-suffering ferry passengers.

"After dealing with years of ferry chaos because of the SNP's incompetence, islanders are now being forced to pick up the tab for SNP financial mismanagement too.

"Scots cannot keep being forced to pay the price for SNP failure."

The Scottish Conservatives criticised the fares increase when it was announced as “another slap in the face” for passengers who had suffered from chronic disruption caused by CalMac’s increasingly unreliable fleet.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: "The Scottish Government has had to face prolonged spending cuts from UK Government and this increase will help us recover the £10 million being carried from previous fare freezes.

"It will also help deliver the resilient, accessible services that ferry users want, enable continued investment in new vessels and infrastructure to support those services and cover the recurring costs from previous fares freezes."

"We know that any fares increase will be challenging for passengers and businesses but, having held fares in previous years, they will increase to around the level they would've been without our fares freeze in 23-24."

A CalMac spokesperson said: “The fares policy is set by the Government and CalMac is not involved in this process and does not make any requests for potential fare increases.”

NorthLink declined to comment as it said fares were a matter for Transport Scotland.