Argyll islands continue to lobby for inclusion in the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme

In earlier news pieces, we reported on the introduction of the innovative RET pilot scheme, on the concerns of Argyll’s islands at the pilot’s broad limitation to The Western Isles, on the response to these concerns we asked for from the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, Jim Mather MSP and on Argyll islanders’ plans to contest their exclusion.

Now, representatives of Argyll’s offshore islands, including Islay, Jura, Colonsay have had a special meeting with councillors and with Alan Reid MP and Jamie McGrigor MSP. Jim Mather, constituency MSP for Argyll and Bute and Minister fr Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, was unable to be present but sent a letter to the meeting.

Those present agreed to back a proposal from Argyll and Bute Council to extend the RET pilot scheme, giving the excluded islands a 40% reduction in ferry fares, including the Isle of Colonsay in the pilot scheme for the Western Isles and instituting a review of the pilot after twelve months of the thirty month scheme.

Concerns have centred on the long term damage to the economic viability of excluded islands, with those in the pilot scheme (The Western Isles, Coll and Tiree) having a considerable time to establish new patterns of tourism and business development supported by the ferry subsidy the scheme is testing. The small Isle of Colonsay, always keeping a weather eye on its fragility, is the most vulnerable of Argyll’s Hebridean islands in this respect. From the outset, it has made its case for inclusion in the RET pilot scheme strongly and with a blend of reason and passion. The general acceptance of its needs in this issue testify to its success.

The islands also agreed to take their case directly to the Scottish and European parliaments.