Western Isles haulage campaigners welcome intervention 2/2/12
Campaigners against the government’s planned axing of RET for commercial vehicles on island ferries has welcomed the intervention of business economist, Professor Neil Kay.
Haulier David Wood of Woody’s Express and a spokesman for the Outer Hebrides Transport Group (OHTG) said: “Having this unsolicited intervention by a man of Professor Kay’s reputation and standing is hugely helpful.
“A week ago when I described the SNP’s proposal to withdraw RET for commercial vehicles to the islands as “economically illiterate,” I never thought for a moment that an economist of Professor Kay’s standing and international reputation would support us.”
He added: “Clearly Professor Kay has a better understanding of its implications for island families and businesses than the SNP government in Edinburgh.
“We’re facing an unprecedented increase in ferry fares and the only response we’ve had from the SNP government is that we are exaggerating the impact of their flawed policy. This is not a fight between hauliers and the government – this is a fight for the jobs and living standards of every household in the islands.”
Mr Wood said: “If the SNP are willing to blithely tell every family in the islands that, an increase of over £400 (or 172%) to take a lorry on a return journey between Lochmaddy on North Uist and Uig on Skye is an “exaggeration” – they clearly don’t have an understanding of arithmetic and they certainly don’t have a sense of proportion.”
He added: “Although our MSP Alasdair Allan is a minister in the SNP government he must support us and put his loyalty to his constituents before any other consideration. We’re pleased that our MP Angus Brendan MacNeil has had the courage to denounce his Party’s plans a “mistake” and has also described the proposed change to the pricing structure for commercial operators as “devastating.”
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“We have to stop this haulage and household tax in its tracks – the prospect of paying hundreds of pounds extra for commercial vehicles is a nonsense and any talk of rebates and discounts from the SNP government is red herring.
“We have a price structure and it is in the interests of these islands that we retain it. We are taking our campaign to the offices of the Transport Minister next Tuesday and we’re in the process of putting together a representative group that shows that all sectors of the economy and our islands will not sit back and allow the heart to be ripped out of our communities.”