Transport / SNP backs motion to reserve cabin and vehicle space for islanders on ferries
ELECTION candidate Hannah Mary Goodlad has secured support from the SNP for a motion to reserve cabin and vehicle space for Shetland residents on the Aberdeen-Lerwick ferry route.
Goodlad also saw her motion for islanders to be exempt from the current seasonal pricing fare increase passed at the SNP’s conference in Aberdeen.
She said NorthLink’s services had “come up time and time again” as an issue people wanted to see changes to.
“I have heard of people having to sleep on the floor with young children because there are no cabins,” she said, calling this”simply dreadful”.
“Several people have described this experience as little different to sleeping rough.”
Goodlad argued at the conference that “no islander should have to sleep on a cold ferry floor”, adding that there was also work to be done on ferry capacity in future.
Speaking after the motion passed, she said she had already discussed with NorthLink how cabin and vehicle space could be reserved for islanders.
“I look forward to continuing these discussions with the Scottish Government so that these changes can be introduced as soon as possible,” she added.
Goodlad is one of three names standing for the Shetland seat in Holyrood next year, alongside Emma Macdonald (Liberal Democrats) and John Erskine (Scottish Labour).
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