16 January, 2008

SHIP passengers travelling to and from the northern isles will have to prove who they are with a photograph before boarding a NorthLink ferry as of May this year.

The ferry operator is making sweeping changes to bring the company in line with ID policies used by other public transport providers, NorthLink's chief executive Bill Davidson said yesterday (Tuesday).

The change comes at a time of increased security measures at Shetland's ports.

Mr Davidson said: "There is an increasing need for us to do all that we can to ensure that passengers are, indeed, who they say they are.

"Of top priority is the growing importance of measures to ensure the safety and security of the passengers, crew and vessels. The ability to identify passengers boarding our vessels is a key part of our enhanced awareness and approach to security issues."

The following types of ID will be eligible under the new scheme:
* Passport
* Photographic driving licence
* National concession scheme card
* Young persons' concession scheme card
* Photo bank cards
* National ID/Smart ID cards
* Student photo ID or workplace photo ID issued by well known employers and organisations

Mr Davidson added: "Although the new policy will not be introduced until May, it does represent a fairly major change for islanders in particular and we felt that we should provide this early notice of its introduction.

"We would advise anyone with concerns or requiring clarification as to what type of photographic identification will be acceptable to contact our customer service staff."