First Corran Ferry foot passenger fare to be introduced
The introduction of the first foot passenger fare on the Corran Ferry is to go ahead after a group of councillors delayed its introduction.The five-minute, Highland Council-run crossing links the wider Lochaber area with communities in the Ardnamurchan peninsula.The local authority's economy and infrastructure committee agreed to a £2 charge last month, but its implementation was paused to allow for a further debate on the fare.Councillors attending a special meeting of the full council voted 34 to 27 in favour of the fee.
The group of councillors had raised concerns about an impact on residents and businesses.Andrew Baxter, Liberal Democrat councillor for Fort William and Ardnamurchan, led calls for a debate at a meeting of the full council.The fare would only apply to passengers aged 23 to 60 years old.It would include cyclists, although there would be no extra charge for the bicycle.The alternative journey by road around Loch Linnhe takes about two hours.Highland Council describes the Corran Ferry as Europe's busiest single-vessel car ferry.It carries about 10,000 foot passengers, 270,000 cars and 11,000 commercial vehicles a year.Highland Council said a £2 charge could generate £20,516 a year.Councillors agreed to a 10% increase on vehicle fares in March, but left a decision on foot passengers to the economy and infrastructure committee.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Kemi Badenoch thinks people leaving Conservatives is a ‘good thing'
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said that defections from her party are a "good thing" because those who are leaving "don't believe in conservatism". Her comments come as Nigel Farage 's Reform party has taken a steady stream of councillors from the Tories in Scotland in recent months. On Thursday, Lauren Knight, who represents the Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford ward on Aberdeenshire Council, defected to Reform. The party has claimed to have 11,000 members north of the border. Reform recently surged in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Holyrood by-election, rising to third place and coming close to the SNP in the seat, which was won by Labour 's Davy Russell. Despite the perceived threat to the Tories from Reform, Ms Badenoch said she did not have an issue with people leaving for the party. She told journalists at the Scottish Tory conference: 'Reform are not a centre-right party. 'This is a party that's talking about nationalising oil and gas. 'This is a party that wants to increase benefits at a time when the benefits bill is so high. 'So if Nigel Farage is taking out of the Conservative Party the people who are not Conservatives, then I'm quite fine with that. ' One of the things that we ned to do is make sure that people see an authentic Conservative Party, we don't want people who want nationalisation and more benefits.' She later added: 'If offering a very, very clear kind of conservatism is now sending out the people from our party who don't believe in our values in the long run, that's a good thing. 'There is no point in us just accumulating lots of people who don't believe in conservatism just so we can win, then when we get into government, we can't govern. 'That's what we saw happen before, that's what we're seeing with Labour, they don't have a plan. 'They just had a plan to win elections and now they're going round and round in circles. 'We want to have people who believe in our agenda, not just people who want to be politicians.' The Tory leader also hit out at former Tory MSP Jamie Greene – who defected to the Lib Dems earlier this year, attacking his support for the Scottish Government's controversial – and ultimately blocked – gender reforms. 'How anyone could have supported what was obviously a mad piece of legislation and think themselves a Conservative is beyond me,' she said. Former party leader Jackson Carlaw and current health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane both also backed the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. Speaking as she made her first appearance at the Scottish Tory conference since taking over as leader, Ms Badenoch declared Nigel Farage a 'threat to the union'. 'If he wants the SNP to have another five years, then that is a threat to the union,' she said. She pointed to an interview Mr Farage gave to the Times earlier this year where he suggested his party could side with the SNP ahead of Labour, but he added that Scotland was 'not going to leave the United Kingdom, it's not going to happen in a month of Sundays'. In her speech, the Tory leader said: 'In April this year, Nigel Farage said he would be fine with the SNP winning another five years in power. 'He's fine with another five years of higher bills, longer waiting lists, declining school standards, gender madness, and ultimately, independence.' Addressing members of the party, she said 'Scottish people deserve better' than another five years of the SNP – the party currently leading in the polls ahead of next year's election – while also announcing her party would scrap the windfall tax on oil and gas if it wins back power at the next UK-wide vote. While the SNP may be in the lead, some polls suggest Reform could beat Labour to second place and push the Tories to fourth. 'In April this year, Nigel Farage said he would be fine with the SNP winning another five years in power,' she said in her speech. 'He's fine with another five years of higher bills, longer waiting lists, declining school standards, gender madness, and ultimately, independence.' Addressing her first Scottish conference since taking on the top job, Ms Badenoch claimed: 'Reform will vote to let the SNP in, Conservatives will only ever vote to get the nationalists out.' Part of her 'positive vision of the future' includes 'standing up' for the North Sea oil and gas industry, with Mrs Badenoch claiming that by increasing the energy profits levy – also known as the windfall tax – the Tories had introduced, Labour is 'killing the oil and gas industry'. Speaking about the levy, she said: 'Frankly if it is allowed to remain in place until 2030, as is Labour's current plan, there will be no industry left to tax. 'Thousands will have been made unemployed and all the while we import more gas from overseas – from the very same basin in which we are banned from drilling.' She called on the UK Government to remove the energy profits levy, as she added that the Tories would also 'scrap the ban on new licences' for oil and gas developments that has been imposed since Labour came to power. 'We will champion our own industry,' Mrs Badenoch told supporters. 'We will let this great British, great Scottish industry thrive, grow and create jobs – ensuring our energy security for generations to come and making Scotland richer in the process.'
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Neil Gray's chauffeured pub trip within the rules, says Swinney
John Swinney has defended his health secretary following accusations that he was chauffeured to a pub before a football match. The first minister said the car used by Neil Gray was 'in accordance with the rules that have been set out within the guidance'. In November last year, Gray apologised after it emerged he had attended four Aberdeen football matches and was driven to the games in a government car. He admitted he had given the impression of 'acting more as a fan and less as a minister' and should have 'attended a wider range of games'. However, he said it was legitimate for ministers to attend sporting events and he would continue to do so. The Scottish Daily Mail reported that before an Aberdeen v Livingston game last year, Gray was driven to the Brig O'Don pub. Neil Gray was driven to the Brig O'Don pub before watching a matching between Aberdeen and Livingston Opponents have heaped pressure on the health secretary over the car journeys, but in January a Conservative motion calling on him to quit failed. Swinney was asked about Gray's car use as he attended the British-Irish Council summit in Northern Ireland. He said: 'The ministerial car was used in accordance with the rules that have been set out within the guidance on this occasion. And those rules that are clearly and publicly advertised have been followed on this occasion.' Pressed again on the issue, he said the regulations had been 'followed appropriately on this occasion'. A Scottish government spokesman told the Scottish Daily Mail that the Brig O'Don trip was not initially revealed due to an 'administrative error', adding: 'Mr Gray travelled from government business to a restaurant for a personal engagement before returning to government business.' The Scottish Labour deputy leader, Dame Jackie Baillie, said a further explanation was needed. She said: 'The decision to take a taxpayer-funded car to the pub is questionable enough — but the fact it was hidden from the public reeks of a cover-up. 'Neil Gray must come clean about exactly what happened here and explain why exactly this trip to the pub was legitimate government business.' Rachael Hamilton, a Scottish Conservative MSP, said the 'inaccuracy was hard to fathom. 'He needs to explain why he and his team originally claimed that his ministerial limo took him to a home address rather than to a restaurant for socialising. Given the scandal the misuse of his government car caused, the health secretary ought to have double checked every journey to make sure that his account was factually correct, so this inaccuracy is hard to fathom'.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Why Kemi Badenoch feels Tories are ‘better off' losing members
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stated that defections from her party to Nigel Farage 's Reform party are positive, as those leaving "don't believe in conservatism." Nigel Farage's Reform party has been steadily gaining councillors from the Tories in Scotland, with councillor Lauren Knight being the latest to defect. Badenoch criticised Reform's policies, including nationalising oil and gas and increasing benefits, asserting they are not a centre-right party. Badenoch attacked former Tory MSP Jamie Greene for supporting the Scottish Government 's gender reforms and labelled Nigel Farage a "threat to the union," suggesting he could enable the SNP to remain in power. Badenoch announced that the Tories would scrap the windfall tax on oil and gas if they regain power and criticised Labour 's plan to maintain the levy until 2030, claiming it would harm the oil and gas industry.
