I think if you ask a lot of island folk, they'll tell you that RET is not a road equivalent, and that road is still a much cheaper option (even if it was cheaper than what came before).
We've been holidaying on the islands since before I was born and everything that came before RET has also had the net effect of increasing car journeys to the islands. In the 1950s you had to have your car winched down into the hold of a steamer. In the 1960s came car ferries, although most loaded from side ramps and had slow-moving lifts to get cars from the deck level to quayside. Then came the roll-on-roll-off ferries which require substantial increase in facilities, like linkspans (the big metal ramp that moves up and down with the tide) and deeper berths. Ferries then got bigger and faster and fancier. The "Iona", which used to do the Islay run when I were a lad was basically a floating greasy spoon inside, all formica and chips, with a bar up front serving Tartan Special to bevvied farmers. Now there are childrens play areas, coffee bars, observation lounges and you can buy local whisky and beers and enjoy them in plush surroundings. All these things will also have encouraged road traffic to the islands.
You have to bear in mind that the push for larger, faster ferries is not just to get the tourists there quicker, it's to get more produce to (and from) the islands quicker and also to allow locals more opportunity to reasonably work on the mainland and bring money back into the island economy. It may mean island children no longer have to board on the mainland to get to high school but can stay at home, it means the newspapers and post can get there faster (or at all!), it means winter weather can be better dealt with and things like island festivals are more practical as there is sufficient excess capacity for surges in demand.
While ferry terminals remain relatively poorly connected by bus or rail, and island public transport is slim to non-existent, poorly advertised and integrated, those who come will generally come by car.
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