A scheme to reduce the cost of Scottish ferry travel is to be extended, the Scottish government has announced. The road equivalent tariff (RET) has been operating on a pilot basis and is now to become permanent on services to the Western Isles and Coll and Tiree and will also be extended to Sounds of Barra and Harris routes.
The RET scheme pegs ferry fares at the rate it would cost to travel the same distance by road. The Scottish Government also plans to extend the scheme to to cover the Colonsay, Islay and Gigha ferries from October 2012 and a pilot scheme for Arran will run from October 2014. RET has significantly brought down fares and is said to have greatly boosted tourism in the Western Isles.