Frustration grows at continued RET wait

Orkney’s long wait for cheaper ferry fares shows no sign of ending any time soon, as the Scottish Government islands minister hails the findings of a new report into the benefits of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET).

As outlined in this week’s The Orcadian, an independent evaluation into the scheme’s impact on the Clyde and Hebrides network uncovered widespread benefits, providing a glowing endorsement on the benefits of RET on island communities.

However, frustration continues to exist in Orkney, three years after the Scottish Government missed its own deadline for the scheme’s implementation in the islands.

Earlier this month, The Orcadian raised the issue of RET, highlighting the potential impact that cheaper ferry fares across the Pentland Firth could play in rebuilding the islands’ economy following the pandemic.

Pentland Ferries, which operates the privately-run St Margaret’s Hope to Gills Bay route, took legal action against the Scottish Government after being denied the offer of full RET and instead, offered a variant of the scheme.

However, the company’s complaint to the European Commission concluded in 2019, leading the company themselves to question the ongoing delay in RET’s implementation.

The Scottish Government has reiterated that it remains committed to reducing fares across the Pentland Firth, but, in the wake of Brexit, it is currently working to understand new guidance on the implementation and operation of subsidy rules — a process that will “take some time.”

Read more in this week’s The Orcadian.