Cheaper ferries for Bute announced - but not quite yet
29 November
Cheaper ferries to Bute are on the way with the Weymss Bay-Rothesay service to be included in the Road Equivalent Tariff scheme during the current parliament, the Scottish Government has announced.
More islands are to benefit from an extension of the Road Equivalent Tariff scheme, Minister for Housing and Transport, Keith Brown said.
The Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) has shown clear indications that the RET pilot scheme in the Western Isles has boosted journeys by up to 31%, benefitting tourism and local business.
The RET pilot for Bute will include passengers and cars including small commercial vehicles and coaches to the island from October 2014, and will roll out to other West Coast and Clyde islands within the term of the current Parliament.
Mr Brown said: “We made a commitment to continue with RET on the current routes and look to roll out RET to the Argyll and Clyde islands in light of the Western Isles pilot. And today we are announcing a package that not only makes good on that commitment but goes above and beyond it.
“The Scottish Government also remains committed to assessing the affordability of ferry travel to and from our remote island communities and we are pleased with the results so far.
“The RET pilot has had a positive impact since it was introduced in October 2008, boosting the local tourist trade and local economies as a result,- and we want to see that continue, that is why we are continuing with RET on the current routes while extending it to include new routes.
“Tourism is just one benefit the RET pilot has brought our thriving island communities and we expect this continuation to bring further positive results to the additional routes now being included.”
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