The Scottish Liberal Democrats have urged the SNP government to “finally deliver” for the northern isles.
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur said he was pressing new Transport and Islands Minister Humza Yousaf to deliver the “urgent action that was promised” on delivering cheaper ferry fares.
In the midst of the election campaign, the Press and Journal revealed Nicola Sturgeon’s pledge to look at introducing the Road Equivalent Tariff – which can cut fares in half – for ferry services to the northern isles.
A spokeswoman for Transport Scotland said they were “firmly committed to taking action to reduce ferry fares to Orkney and Shetland”.
But Mr McArthur responded: “During the election, the First Minister said she would take immediate action to tackle ferry fares.
“But, when pushed on this, the new islands minister refers to a report that was commissioned last year and relates to a contract that won’t come into effect until 2018.
“A two-year delay is not exactly the urgent action that was promised.
“People in Orkney are fed up with this ‘jam tomorrow’ approach. We were promised fare cuts in 2008 and got nothing.
“We were promised fare cuts again ahead of the 2011 election and got nothing.
“Having made the same promise again, it is time for the First Minister and her government to finally deliver.”
A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: “We are firmly committed to taking action to reducing ferry fares to Orkney and Shetland and the Minister for Transport and the Islands has made it a priority to meet local MSPs, including Mr McArthur, next week.
“The working group on the northern isles ferry contract is reporting in late summer and a wider consultation, which considered fare levels, has already been carried out.”
