Full inter-island ferry funding announced

January 28, 2021 at 5:16 pm

Orkney’s internal ferry services will be fully funded.

Orkney’s internal ferry service is set to be fully funded, and Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) is set to be introduced on these internal routes, after the Scottish Government unveiled its budget plans for the year ahead.

The 2021/22 draft budget includes £19.2million for local authorities to run ferry services — an increase of £7.7million on last year.

This increase will result in Orkney’s ageing internal ferry fleet being fully funded, ending a long campaign by the local authorities of Orkney and Shetland in lobbying the Scottish Government to receive fair funding.

Reaction to follow.