Concessionary fares rumpus
Concessionary fares on the ferry, re-imposed at £1 when the free pass was abolished, are to be further hiked to £2.40 from today, the beginning of April, to the great indignation of Arran people.
Three Arran Community Councillors attended a meeting at the Elderly Forum on 16th April, at which SPT representatives Bruce Kiloh (Head of Transport Planning) and Gordon Dickson were present. The ACC members protested at the unfair discrimination underlying the price hike for Arran people, and also raised the question of second home owners taking advantage of the concession scheme. This, they pointed out, is totally unjustified in the case of people who may only visit their holiday properties a few times a year and are certainly not dependent on the ferry for hospital appointments etc as full-time local residents are. However, screening out the second home owners is not easy. Local post offices check validation of an applicant by either a Council tax bill or utilities bill, but these documents do not confirm permanent residency. All applicants perhaps need to be countersigned by someone with the authority to check the facts before a concession card is handed out. The Community Council will be debating this at its end-of-March meeting.
Meanwhile Katy Clark MP deplores the rise, saying it is ‘disproportionate in comparison to other ferry services to Scotland’s islands, including those in the Clyde.’ It is explained on the grounds that the Brodick-Ardrossan ferry service is over 10 miles, but Ms Clark asserts that it is ‘a direct result of the Government removing the subsidy to SPT’.
Readers comment : I notice that Katy Clark blames the 140% rise on the concessionary ferry fare on Scottish Government. The fact of the matter is that Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is wholly funded by the 12 local councils within the Strathclyde area and is not, and never has been, funded by the Scottish Government. Katy Clark should direct her justified anger to the North Ayrshire Labour delegate on SPT, and Arran’s only voice on that body, who did not attend the meeting last December where the 140% increase was passed. J Lees , Sannox
