Council to look at public transport in remote areas

concern at cost of providing service where postbuses have been lost

Published:

Richard Greene: ‘lifeline’

Highland Council is to carry out a review of all forms of public transport in two areas which used to be served by postbuses to see if an integrated public transport system can be created.

The Royal Mail withdrew support for three postbus services in Wester Ross and two in north-west Sutherland in April. Interim measures put in place by the council have proved to be very costly and will put an extra pressure of £87,500 on council budgets annually.

One of the routes, Torridon to Strathcarron, has been provided with a service by diverting an existing public bus service at no extra cost to the council. The other four services, Diabeg to Achnasheen, Applecross to Torridon, Thurso to Tongue and Bettyhill to Tongue, are now being reviewed by the council.

Head of transport and infrastructure Sam MacNaughton said: “When the postbus services were introduced in the 70s they were seen as innovative and hailed across the UK as an answer to the problems of a lack of public transport in remote areas. We have tried interim measures but we must now get long-term solutions.”

Councillor George Farlow warned that removing this service could have long-term implications for the whole community. He said: “The Government has to recognise that these are fragile areas and if we take one service like this away, it could lead to the collapse of other services, and the whole community falls apart. We must look at cross-service delivery and we should engage with everyone to get an integrated transport service. We have to look at what we provide for school pupils, for workers, for disabled people and for people throughout the day.”

Councillor Richard Greene got the backing of the Tec services committee when he asked for officials to review the overall strategic transport provision in rural areas.

He said: “There are many who don’t have a car, or neighbours with cars and these buses are a lifeline. We need to see what we can do and how we can combine existing services to get the best value for money, and keep on providing the services that mean people can continue to live in remote areas.”