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Fares on the inter-island ferries will be slashed by up to 63% when the Scottish Government introduces road equivalent tariff (RET) on the routes in October.

 

The single passenger fare on the Sound of Barra ferry will fall from the present £8 to £2.95, a cut of 63%.

 

Taking a car across will be £10.25 instead of the current £22.90.

 

On the Sound of Harris, the new single fare will be £3.45 - under half the present £7.35 price. At £13.15, a car will cost 60% less.

 

The RET scheme involves setting ferry fares on the basis of the cost of travelling an equivalent distance by road.

 

The initiative was introduced on the Western Isles to mainland runs in 2008.

 

Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: “The roll out of RET on other routes has been a real success, bringing benefits to local economies and boosting the tourist trade, so I’m sure this will come as welcome news to locals and visitors.”

 

He added: “Lower fares will inevitably lead to an increase in traffic on these services, but CalMac will have the opportunity to bring forward plans to manage this demand. The operator will engage with communities in due course, and any demand management measures will be agreed with these communities before they are introduced.”

Cheaper fares for inter-island ferries

27 March 2015