Haulage taskgroup fight price rises 15/2/12
Western Isles Council has pledged its fullest backing to a taskgroup to fight the Scottish Government against shock price increases on haulage being transported on Cal Mac ferries.
Last night (wed) the council voted to join the taskgroup and called for the present road equivalent tariff ticket prices to remain until a study into the economic impact of the shock 50% rises is carried out.
Otherwise, hauliers warn higher charges would be passed on and means soaring prices in island shops. They say their case is urgent as the jump in fares starts in just seven weeks.
At a taskgroup meeting in Stornoway yesterday, David Wood of Woody’s Express pointed out that hauliers to Orkney enjoyed fare cheaper rates per sea mile.
He said: “”We would like parity with the Northern Isles.”
He said the government “pulled a rabbit out of the hat” to appease for initially threatening to increase fares by up to 172% when it agreed to charge small light commercial vans at the RET subsidised car rate.
Councillor Donald Iain Nicolson insisted a moratorium was immediately necessary.
He criticised the “shifting ground” of transport minister Keith Brown whose “credibility is at stake here.”
Councillors unanimously backed the moratorium call and pledged support to the hauliers’ fight.
They are angry that a consultation closes on 28 th March and the ticket increase will be implemented the next day.
The Scottish Government is axing road equivalent tariff (RET) from island hauliers maintaining there is no evidence the huge savings had been passed down the line to shops and consumers.
After an outcry, it agreed to half the increase but it still means lorries face rises of up to 50% to travel on Hebridean ferries.
Haulage firms will be expected to participate in a review of the "costs faced by
hauliers and the impact on the local economy" in an apparent effort to check if the
discounts are being passed on to shops and if the end-