FARES on the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry are slashed from today (Monday, October 27) by 54 per cent for some motor vehicles and 28 per cent for foot passengers from October in an extension of the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme.

The RET is a Scottish Government funded scheme that sets ferry fares on the basis of the cost of travelling an equivalent distance by road and covers cars, small commercial vehicles, coaches and foot passengers.

Single fares are now £3.65 for a foot passenger and £14.85 for a eligible motor vehicles.

The Claonaig to Lochranza route is also now included in the RET with reductions of 63 per cent for eligible motor transport and 44 per cent for foot passengers.

The RET is credited with increasing tourism to islands where it has already been implemented such as in the Western Isles and a similar boost is expected for Arran.

Today's reductions come at the end of a week showing the number of tourists coming to Scotland has hit a six-year high and 2014 could be on course to break tourism spending records.

The reductions are being introduced in the winter timetable which becomes effective from today to ensure that any potential glitches or teething troubles can be ironed out before the 2015 summer season when the new fares will remain in force.

MSP for Cunninghame North, Kenneth Gibson, who lobbied for the RET to be applied to Arran commented: “This reduction in fares on the Arran ferry routes is great news for tourists and for islanders.

“The SNP delivering its manifesto commitment will increase journeys to Arran and deliver a tremendous boost to the tourism-dependent Arran economy, helping to sustain and increase island employment, investment and prosperity.

“Arran is a spectacular destination and I have every confidence that the roll out of the ferry RET will help make life easier for islanders - many of whom travel back and forth to the mainland on a regular basis – and make the island less expensive and therefore even more appealing and accessible to tourists than it is already.

“The Government has even more ambitious plans for Arran in the years ahead, including a new Brodick harbour to be completed by 2016, a more powerful and manoeuvrable 127 car and 1,000 passenger ferry, to be run on environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas to enter service in 2017 and an all-year round two ferry service by 2018.