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Scottish Parliament debate against axing haulage RET           23/2/12
Scottish Labour has secured a parliamentary debate on commercial RET on Western Isles ferries. The party wants the Scottish Government to postpone winding down the scheme for larger lorries until a study is undertake to see if hauliers are passing on the savings.

High ferry fares have been seen by many as a barrier to economic growth on the islands. The Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) introduced discounted ferry fares. However, the SNP government plans to scrap the scheme for hauliers.

The initial proposal was that as of April 2012 some hauliers will see their ferry fares increase by as much as 134%.

Following a public outcry a short-term transitionary scheme is being introduced, capping increases at 50% annually until RET is scrapped altogether for larger commercial vehicles.

Under the interim scheme, a 17-metre artic lorry faces a 50% rise - on the Ullapool and Stornoway ropute that means a rise from from £191 to £286 from the end of March.

Once the transitionary scheme is scrapped that fare would increase by 134% to about £447 said Labour.

Labour says the SNP has described this triple-figure increase as a good deal for islanders. It warns that the fare increases will be passed on directly to islanders through increased cost of goods and services.

Scottish Labour is leading a debate in the Scottish Parliament today (Thurs) calling for a moratorium on fare increases until a full socio-economic study has been carried out to assess the impact that increased transportation costs will have on households, local employers and island hauliers.

The party points out its manifesto contains a clear commitment to maintain the RET scheme.

Labour praised MP Angus MacNeil for “condemning his government’s action as a “major mistake” that will be a “devastating blow” for hauliers that “will ultimately impact on every household in the Western Isles.” “

Scottish Labour’s Shadow Minister for Enterprise ,and Highlands and Islands MSP, Rhoda Grant, who will be speaking in tge debate, said:  “Alasdair Allan and his SNP colleagues have a choice: tow the government line and back the SNP’s tax on islanders or back Scottish Labour that is standing up for Scotland’s island communities.

“Islanders already pay well above the odds for food and fuel. And at a time when petrol prices and household bills continue to soar and hundreds of Scots are losing their jobs every day, the last thing islanders need is to be punished with this SNP tax.

“It doesn’t matter how the SNP government try and spin it, they are actively making a choice to scrap RET and islanders know it will only lead to increased bills for them.

“I hope members of all political parties back Scottish Labour’s motion to make clear that this attack on islanders is not fair and it is not on. If they refuse to back Labour’s calls for a moratorium on fare increases, they are giving the green light to a crippling SNP tax on islanders.”