19 January 2012

Highlands & Islands Labour MSPs David Stewart and Rhoda Grant have undertaken to do all they can to fight for the retention of haulage RET.

Under new Government plans, from the end of March this year, hauliers would be charged extra, to transport supplies to the Western Isles.

Placing a motion before Parliament, calling on the Government to withdraw the plans, David Stewart said this morning,

" I am really concerned by this action from the Government. Commercial vehicles using ferries that service the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree will have to pay fare increases of up to 175% of the current fare, which, in this economic climate will be damaging to the local economy and is quite frankly unjustified.

"I have called on the Government to reflect and withdraw these plans now.

"How can the Scottish Government claim to be committed to our Islands if this is what they plan to do to fragile communities"

Speaking yesterday, Rhoda Grant said " Islanders already face higher costs.

"The new charging regime proposed by the Government is simply another tax on the hard pressed Islanders"

Both David Stewart and Rhoda Grant are keen to point out that the whole point of RET was to support and aid the economy of the Islands and they are asking the Government have a re-think.

David Stewart continued, " The least I now expect from the Government is for them to put these plans on hold and undertake a consultation process with all affected or involved before making such damaging plans"

The motion proposed by David Stewart and supported by Rhoda Grant reads :

Road Equivalent Tariff for Commercial Vehicles

That the Parliament notes with concern the Scottish Government’s current proposals to remove road equivalent tariff from commercial vehicles using ferries that serve the communities of the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree; notes that in some cases the fare increase for small haulage companies from Tiree would more than double the fare and in the Western Isles may be up to 175% of the current fare; considers that in the current economic climate these fare increases are both extremely damaging to the local economy and completely unjustifiable; calls on the Scottish Government to urgently withdraw these plans, and believes that, if the Scottish Government chooses not to do so, this would seriously question its commitment to Scotland’s most fragile island communities.