Western Isles trials spark rumour machine

Although the extent of trials of a Road Equivalent Tarrif system on the ferries serving the Western Isles were published months ago, and specifically excluded a wider roll out from day one, it was amusing (and predictable) to see that as soon as the trial was due to begin, the Rumour Machine was spurred into action, and tales of a wider coverage of the system circulated.

The system mimics that which has been in use in Norway for some time, and basically prices the ferry route as if it was being travelled by road.

By way of example, the return ferry fare for a car from the mainland to Stornoway is some £140. Under RET, the fares would be set at £5, plus a further 60p a mile, dropping the cost of the 42 mile Stornoway – Ullapool trip by around one third. The 76 mile crossing from Oban to Castlebay on Barra, could see its cost halved.

As usual, someone’s nose has been put out of joint, and those on Orkney and Shetland are said to be angry that they have not been included, while others are moaning about the three selected routes taking visitors away from those routes which do not have the new, lower tariffs.

Makes perfect sense of course, and after much whining and beating of chests because there is no RET, once the moaning has seen its trial arrive, switch the whining and beating of chests to the way the trial is run, and forget about the forthcoming results of the trial, not even seen yet.

Don’t you love people, politics, and personal agendas?