Labour’s Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant has accused the SNP Scottish Government of ‘failure’ to islanders as Ferry Fares are set to increase by 10% from January.
A Freedom of Information request by Labour revealed that CalMac and NorthLink only requested a 2% increase in ferry fares.
Over £280 million in subsidy is required per annum to support the CHFS ( Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service) and NIFS (Northern Isles Ferry Service) ferry networks. Lifeline services to the islands.
According to Labour the Scottish Government rejected the 2% increase and insisted on a 10% rise because of “significant and ongoing fiscal pressures facing Ministers at this time”. These pressures were at least partly caused by “the additional maintenance and operating costs associated with maintaining an ageing fleet”.
Government notes acknowledge that the increase “will be challenging for passengers and businesses” and appears to acknowledge a potentially negative effect on child poverty and economic growth.
Commenting, Rhoda Grant, who is also Labour’s Islands spokesperson, said:
“These bombshell documents show it was SNP Ministers who chose to inflict eyewatering fare hikes on long-suffering ferry passengers.
“After dealing with years of ferry chaos because of the SNP’s incompetence, islanders are now being forced to pick up the tab for SNP financial mismanagement too. Scots cannot keep being forced to pay the price for SNP failure.
“Islanders deserve better – Scottish Labour is committed to ending the SNP’s ferry fiasco and delivering the reliable, affordable lifeline services communities deserve.”
A separate Freedom of Information Request published in February 2024 revealed that for CHFS The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 was not taken into consideration when setting ferry fares policy to those routes “as this Act came into being after the Scottish Government’s policy of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) was introduced.”
RET is a distance based fares structure and is used on the CHFS routes.
The RET formula for calculating fares is a combination of a fixed element (to ensure services remain sustainable and to cover fixed costs such as maintaining harbour infrastructure and vessels) and a rate per mile (calculated by Transport Scotland analysts using contemporary independent research by the RAC). The RET formula is reviewed annually by Transport Scotland. (Transport Scotland)
RET is not used for the Northern Isles Routes. Instead there are reduced rates for residents in Orkney and Shetland, the Islander Discount of 30% on fares.
Northlink Islander ferry fares from January to December 2025
Northlink Ferry fares from January to December 2025
Pentland Ferries Fares January to March 2025
Caledonian MacBrayne Clyde & Hebridean Ferries Ticket Information
Fiona Grahame