Arran’s fuel Catch-22

Our local MP, Katy Clark, has been successful in her campaign to get Arran included in the scheme to secure a discount on road fuel tax duty. For some reason, we were excluded from the original scheme that allowed a reduction of 5p per litre on petrol and diesel for rural British islands, but this has now been righted. But as Katy points out, ‘The price of fuel on Arran is of course far more than 5p per litre more expensive [than on the mainland] and more needs to be done.’

Island retailers claim that road fuel is barely worth selling, and makes no profit except for suppliers who deal in large bulk, which is not possible on Arran. The prices therefore have to be high – but the motorist responds by buying fuel on the mainland whenever possible, in a Catch-22 that seems to have no solution.