OIC Leader Presses Transport Minister for Progress on RET

Orkney Islands Council's Leader James Stockan has met with Scottish Government Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth this week (8 August) to press for progress on key transport issues for Orkney-  including the funding of the inter-island ferry service and the roll out of RET - road equivalent tariff - to ferry routes to Orkney.

The Council has been pressing over a number of years for the Scottish Government to step up and fund Orkney’s inter-island ferry service, including the replacement of the ageing fleet – bringing Orkney in line with other island areas like the Western Isles where the  running and replacement costs of ferries are fully subsidised by the Government.

In addition, more than a decade after RET was introduced across other ferry routes in Scotland - bringing cheaper ferry fares to islanders and visitors across the country -  it is still to be introduced on routes across the Pentland Firth.

RET was first introduced as a pilot on a number of West Coast ferry routes in 2008. It had been rolled out on all Clyde and Hebrides routes by October 2015, with fares on routes to Shetland reduced by the Government in 2018.

A welcome visit to the county by Ms Gilruth - who took on the role of Transport Minister in January 2022  - provided Councillor Stockan with an ideal opportunity to raise these issue again.

Councillor Stockan said: "In reality, as an island authority, our list of asks of the Transport Minister is extensive - but the introduction of RET and the funding of our inter-island ferry service are absolutely top of that list.

“In our conversation with the Transport Minister we hammered home the point on the funding of the ferry service and asked that she strongly makes the point to the Finance Minister that Orkney has a case here.

“She listened intently to what we had to say and certainly took on board the challenges that we are facing with our inter-island ferry services and how great our need is.  We reinforced the point that our ferries are now 10 years older than some of the Western Isles fleet and that we were looking for her support to gain a financial package.  She has undertaken to speak to the Finance Minister about this and we await an update in due course.

“In terms of RET, equivalent fares will have a hugely beneficial impact for Orkney – reducing fares that are far higher than those on routes elsewhere in Scotland.

“Ending this inequality will remove a major barrier standing in the way of Orkney’s economic recovery and will have an immediate impact on the daily lives of folk in some of our most fragile communities and provide a welcome boost for our tourism businesses - ending the many years of disadvantage Orkney has suffered when compared to other island communities in Scotland.

“We believe the ball is firmly in their court to introduce RET on routes into Orkney. We reinforced our case to ensure that the RET budget is used for Orkney and look forward to further discussions on this.

“We also took the opportunity to raise the issue of free Orkney Ferries travel for those under-22 in line with the free bus travel that has been introduced across the country – for our young islanders ferries are their buses.  Again, Ms Gilruth undertook to look into this and we expect to hear more from her soon.”