Public bodies have been urged to ditch the “silo mentality” and find a solution to controversial car parking charges at Sumburgh Airport.
The issue was again raised during a meeting of Lerwick Community Council this week, when councillor Karen Fraser suggested Loganair should organise a communal taxi service when the last flight was arriving late.
Chairman Jim Anderson said it was “ludicrous” that airport operator HIAL decided to waive car park charges for registered vehicles from Shetland’s outer isles while those living in the remoter parts of the north and west mainland still had to pay £3 a day.
He said well over half the revenue likely to be raised by HIAL, which is also introducing charges at Kirkwall and Stornoway, would come from Shetland.
“The bottom line is that it is all public money. You’ve got the Scottish Government, HIAL, ZetTrans, the SIC and so on and so forth,” Mr Anderson said.
“Rather than the silo mentality in these bodies all sitting pointing the fingers at each other, they should work together collaboratively and, yes, introduce car parking charges but it should be across the board, including at mainland airports in Wick and Campbeltown.
“We are furthest away and we are ending up paying because more folk are reliant on that service.
“It is just unfair. There is no parity across the board and I think if there would be a little more of evening out and everybody pulling together, then I think we could get a dedicated bus service, or dial-a-bus.
“I want folk to work together to come up with a solution for everybody.
“HIAL may get some more money in and folk could go on holiday without too much of a financial burden.”