ISLAND communities are proposing potential new ticketing options they believe could help residents and businesses using Scotland's ferries.

Mull & Iona Ferry Committee and Arran Ferry Action Group have launched separate surveys to gather opinion on a successful system that operates for the Samso island in Denmark, which has a similar population to Mull of about 3,500.

The Mull & Iona Ferry Committee said: "Like Mull, it is a popular tourist destination, and like Mull there is competition for car spaces between locals and visitors during the summer months. But unlike Mull, they have a different method of allocating car deck space. We have spoken to the CEO of the Samso ferry company, and he outlined how their system works."

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The campaigners continued: "The core principle of the Samso system is that two separate ticket allocations are maintained. One for locals and other regular users (like commuters and delivery drivers), and one for visitors."

Under the Samso system, residents and regular users are issued with a photo ID card, and when buying tickets islanders present the card, which allows them to buy a ticket from the local allocation for that sailing.

The ferry company keep records on a sailing-by-sailing basis of how many car spaces are used by holders of cards.

The Herald: Samso Island, Denmark. Google.Samso Island, Denmark. Google.

Using the historical record, the ferry company calculates how many card spaces will be required as the local allocation on each future sailing. Those spaces are only available to be bought by card holders.

Arran Ferry Action Group said: "One of the main reasons CalMac and Transport Scotland have given in the past for not differentiating between visitors and islanders like this was that there are differing and competing views across the islands on how and whether this should be done.

"So the one way we can address that – at least on Arran, Mull and Iona – is to ask you. We have published an online survey to get your views."