News / Scott on warpath over ferry discounts
SHETLAND MSP Tavish Scott has renewed his attack on the Scottish government and multinational service company Serco over reductions in discounts on the NorthLink ferry service.
Scott says the fare for pupils to travel on school trips has more than doubled in the past three years from £40 to £92 each.
This follows a reduction in the concession for elderly and student travellers from 25 to 10 per cent.
The MSP also slammed the government for failing to consult over plans to cut back the discount for groups.
However his charges have been denied by both the government and Serco, who insist that consultation did take place before a farer discount system was introduced.
Scott cites a letter he received from transport minister Keith Brown, which he says admits there was no consultation prior to the cuts.
Transport Scotland say he has misinterpreted a freedom of information response, and specific consultation was carried out while the new ferry contract was being drawn up with “key local authority officials and regional transport partnerships”.
The government agency also said almost 400 responses to a wider public consultation in 2010 were taken into consideration.
But Scott is vehement that Shetlanders are being treated “with disdain”.
“Serco say they have kept Northlink’s sponsorship, but by cutting the group islander discount Shetland schools now face much higher transport costs,” he said.
“Teachers now know that pupil transport costs, which were under £40 three years ago, have risen to upwards of £92 each for the boat.
“Some Shetland children will now miss out on valuable educational and cultural experiences because they can’t afford to travel south.”
Serco NorthLink says the old discount scheme for sports clubs, community groups and schools has been replaced by a sponsorship scheme worth £100,000.
Unlike the old scheme, the company says, it has a formal application process to make sure discounts are applied “fairly and appropriately”.
The company is currently setting up local committees in Shetland and Orkney to decide who should be funded.
Scott rubbishes this as “red tape”, saying: “Teachers already have too much paperwork to contend with – they shouldn’t have to fill in a separate sponsorship application form for every individual school trip months in advance.”
The government remains right behind Serco, saying the company is driving forward “enhancements to the passenger experience”, underlying Holyrood’s “ongoing commitment to continue to improve all of Scotland’s ferry services”.
Serco says it offers a “broader range of fare discounts than has been specified in any previous Scottish government ferry services contract”, with the 10 per cent concession, the 30 per cent islander discount and four free single journeys for National Entitlement Card holding island residents.
Scott is unswayed. “Serco and the Scottish government have added to the cost of living in the islands. Now, for schools, the cost of education has risen too.
“We need a better deal from both and an understanding that this is Shetland’s lifeline service not some private sector luxury cruise to Aberdeen.
“It would seem that if you are at school, in a sports club, a pensioner, a student or a person with a disability then the government’s approach is you pay more and tough.”
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