Ferry fares are being cut by up to half on all Western Isles to mainland routes as the 'Road Equivalent Tariff' (RET) pilot gets underway.

The Scottish Government is using this pilot to consider how the current ferry fares system can be improved by introducing a fairer RET scheme which would bring cheaper travel for islanders, tourists and businesses across the country.

The pilot will operate until the spring of 2011.

Welcoming the launch of the scheme Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "For years, our remote and fragile communities have been expressing concerns about the affordability of ferry travel and the impact this has on islanders.

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"Expensive ferry fares can be damaging, not only to our local economies, but to our national economy. We want to take action to address this.

"This is the first pilot which has sought to overhaul the way fares are calculated and the aim is to establish a cheaper and fairer system for ferry users right across the country.

"While initially focussing on a pilot on routes to the Western Isles, we want this test case to pave the way for cheaper fares for all our island communities. The final phase of the study will involve a full evaluation of the pilot exercise and offer options for rolling the scheme out to our other island communities.

"RET is a vision for the future of ferry fares, and this pilot could open the door to a fairer, cheaper system for every ferry user in Scotland. "

Alex Paterson, HIE's regional director said: "We welcome the development of this pilot which will test the impact of Road Equivalent Tariff as a fare paying mechanism. This pilot is part of a range of work on reviewing transport options which contribute to the goal of establishing mainland equivalence for Scotland's islands.

"We look forward to the outcome of the pilot and evaluating the social and economic change arising from Road Equivalent Tariff fares being applied to these ferry routes."

(GK/JM)