Ferry Tariff Review

In November 2010, Orkney Islands Council (OIC) commissioned the Eday-based, The Spyria Partnership to undertake a review into the tariff charged by Orkney Ferries across all of its ferries. The report can be viewed in full here.

OIC has stated that the four main objectives of this 'Tariff Review' are as follows:

  • Achieve fairness


  • Develop a pricing approach which better reflects the demand and pressure on available deck space


  • Improve social inclusion within the isles


  • Provide a more simplified tariff structure


In September 2011, the OIC Chief Executive published a report on the Ferry Tariff Review, which can be viewed here.

In October 2011, OIC began a period of consultation with its island communities over the proposed changes to the tariff. Part of this consultation involved the distributing of questionnaires for both individuals and businesses to complete. The questionnaire gave the community a chance to have their say, and provided three tariff options to choose from (both the 'businesses' and 'households' questionnaires are available to view).

The three options presented to the Inner and South Isles (including Rousay, Egilsay, Wyre), were as follows:

Fares
(Single)		 Present Cost
(if buying individual
tickets, i.e. no
books of tickets)		 Present Cost
(per ticket,
if buying a
50-book of tickets)		 Option 1 Option 2 Option 3
Passenger (Adult) £3.95 £1.98 £2.50 £2.40 £2.50
5-Metre Domestic Vehicle £12.55 £6.28 £10.00 £7.40 £8.00
5-Metre Commercial Vehicle £12.55 £6.28 £10.00 £23.60 £16.00
10-Metre Commercial Vehicle £69.05 N/A £35.00 £47.20 £32.00


All three options above would result in the scrapping of the 10-,20-, and 50-book ticket system, in favour of providing the same rate to all purchasers.

OIC claims that all three options are 'cost-neutral'.

The deadline for sending in completed questionnaires to OIC was initially 16 December, but was later extended to 4 January 2012, 5pm.

Meetings were held with all communities, culminating in a meeting with the community of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre, at Rousay School on 19 December 2011.

REWG Community Council responded to OIC's Ferry Tariff Review, in January 2012. The letter can be viewed here.