SNP Transport policy
The SNP Transport policies are turning into a bit of a mess, at least as they relate to the Western Isles.
The Benbecula-Inverness flight is removed due to under-use, and the knee-jerk reaction is to demand a meeting with the Minister, to discuss a PSO. A PSO is a subsidy to the company to run an under-capacity plane at a fixed price, not a mechanism to reduce the fares. Unless the PSO provides a realistic subsidy to the travel, you will end up with an empty plane being paid to fly AND still have high fares.
Perhaps the money would be better spent on a Benbecula-Edinburgh (or Aberdeen?) flight, rather than assuming that what we have must be the best answer.
On RET, our MP and MSP are suggesting that the SNP abandon its weak Manifesto pledge "we will undertake a pilot project on RET to the Western Isles" and move to an immediate introduction of RET without the studies. Good move, but why wasn't it argued for before? And why wasn't it in the Manifesto.
It would be churlish to point out that Transport is a devolved matter, but our MP has more to say on the topic than our MSP.
However, MacNeil's comment that "I am confident that the Western Isles has the flair and the enterpreneurs to take advantage of a more favourable economic climate, which reduced ferry fares will bring", could only be made by someone who has never been in business.
The Western Isles are bursting with entrepreneurs and fantastic businesses all of whom have been screaming for decades about ferry fares. I've signed goodness knows how many petitions on this very topic, many originated by the SNP, many before Mr MacNeil became politically active, and promoted the same through the Comhairle.
Any further delay is going to hit the local economy further. Act now and release our potential.
The Benbecula-Inverness flight is removed due to under-use, and the knee-jerk reaction is to demand a meeting with the Minister, to discuss a PSO. A PSO is a subsidy to the company to run an under-capacity plane at a fixed price, not a mechanism to reduce the fares. Unless the PSO provides a realistic subsidy to the travel, you will end up with an empty plane being paid to fly AND still have high fares.
Perhaps the money would be better spent on a Benbecula-Edinburgh (or Aberdeen?) flight, rather than assuming that what we have must be the best answer.
On RET, our MP and MSP are suggesting that the SNP abandon its weak Manifesto pledge "we will undertake a pilot project on RET to the Western Isles" and move to an immediate introduction of RET without the studies. Good move, but why wasn't it argued for before? And why wasn't it in the Manifesto.
It would be churlish to point out that Transport is a devolved matter, but our MP has more to say on the topic than our MSP.
However, MacNeil's comment that "I am confident that the Western Isles has the flair and the enterpreneurs to take advantage of a more favourable economic climate, which reduced ferry fares will bring", could only be made by someone who has never been in business.
The Western Isles are bursting with entrepreneurs and fantastic businesses all of whom have been screaming for decades about ferry fares. I've signed goodness knows how many petitions on this very topic, many originated by the SNP, many before Mr MacNeil became politically active, and promoted the same through the Comhairle.
Any further delay is going to hit the local economy further. Act now and release our potential.
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