This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Cash for local bus services
29/11/2005
Local bus services from the Northern Isles to Dumfries and Galloway are to benefit from £3.7 million funding.
Transport Minister Tavish Scott announced today that nine projects will share the funding from the Executive's Bus Route Development Grant scheme which aims to help councils and bus operators kick-start better local services.
In the last six years, passenger numbers on local bus services have increased by over 10 per cent and the Bus Route Development Grant will help to maintain this trend.
Today's grants will benefit bus passengers in Aberdeen, Angus, Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Orkney and Shetland.
Speaking at the Scottish Transport Awards conference in Edinburgh, Mr Scott said:
"This devolved government is committed to improving access to public transport. We want to encourage more people onto our buses to help reduce congestion. This new funding will encourage better local services to be developed, particularly in rural areas, and provide improved travel links and alternatives.
"Projects including improving access to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, providing a more direct service from Fife to Edinburgh airport and introducing a seamless bus and ferry service for people living in Shetland, are helping connect people to the services they need."
The projects receiving funding are:
Aberdeen City Council - First Aberdeen: Aberdeen Route 5. This enhanced service improves direct connections to more locations within Aberdeen without requiring city centre interchange, including improved access to the Royal Infirmary site and with areas with high levels of social need.
Angus Council - Strathtay: Kirriemuir-Forfar local bus service. This new service provides 30 minute frequency service for through journeys to Arbroath, providing direct links to Angus College and an hourly direct service from Kirriemuir to Forfar Business Park and Orchardbank Industrial Estate. Also improves links to Forfar and Dundee.
Argyll & Bute Council - West Coast Motors: Service enhancement between Oban and Dunbeg to improve the present hourly frequency bus service between Oban (Glengallan Road) and Dunbeg to half hourly and enhance the network of sustainable services in the Oban area. The enhanced frequency is designed to serve new housing developments at each end of the route.
Dumfries & Galloway Council - Stagecoach: Dumfries Town Services. Enhanced service will have a positive impact on the environment by reducing car usage and creating modal shift. Will limit harmful emissions through the use of Euro III engines, and increase passenger safety by encouraging more passengers to travel by bus and make use of digital CCTV. It will also provide enhanced waiting areas and information and improve access for the elderly and disabled, and promote social inclusion by increasing access to social and recreational venues.
Fife Council - Stagecoach: Inverkeithing Railway station to Edinburgh Airport. Provides new more direct public transport service from Fife and the North East of Scotland to Edinburgh Airport, via Inverkeithing Railway Interchange, Ferrytoll Park and Ride Interchange, and areas in Edinburgh, including, Barnton, Drumbrae and Corstorphine. Improves access to employment opportunities by providing links to the new Royal Bank of Scotland Headquarters and the airport itself.
Fife Council - Stagecoach Service 99: St Andrews to Dundee corridor. Enhanced service provides access to public transport facilities between Dundee and Fife. To improve the opportunity to access potential employment in St Andrews and Dundee. St Andrews, in particular, suffers from a lack of employees for the key tourist and leisure industries. Improves the frequency of service to Leuchars Rail Station and Dundee bus and railway stations to provide integrated travel opportunities.
Fife Council - Stagecoach Service 78: Dunfermline to High Valleyfield. Enhanced service provides essential access for High Valleyfield, an area of high unemployment of over twice the Scottish average, to employment opportunities. The service provides fully accessible low floor vehicles to accommodate the accessibility needs of the elderly and disabled, which accounts for some 35 per cent of passengers on the route. It will also integrate the Service with Services 74 and 75 (Dunfermline to Oakley and Blairhall/Steelend) to provide better linkage to the southside of the Dunfermline and the Rail Station.
Orkney Islands Council - Rapsons: Enhancement of services 1, 1a and 1b in the Kirkwall to Stromness corridor.
New service will help to enable those with a mobility impairment to access the mainstream transport modes in the Orkney Islands and the transport modes to and from the Orkney Islands. It will provide new fully accessible vehicles to improve access to bus services for those with impaired mobility such as wheelchair users, parents with pushchairs, passengers with backpacks or other luggage and elderly passengers. It will provide improved integration of service by making better use of the existing timetable and vehicles; it will also improve the quality of public transport through improved ticketing and through the installation of CCTV.
Shetland Islands Council - The North Isles integrated bus project. Enhanced service will provide a seamless integrated bus and ferry service for residents living in the islands of Unst, Fetlar and Yell by improving accessibility and meeting the economic and community requirements of these islands. It will provide a daily return service six days a week. Service is in accordance with Disability Discrimation Act 1995 in terms of accessible transport provision. It will also reduce journey times and introduce a discounted integrated ticketing system.
The Bus Route Development Scheme is aimed at providing financial support for up to three years to aid the development of new and existing registered local bus services which have the potential for growth. The purpose of the grant is to improve access to public transport, encourage modal shift and reduce congestion. The scheme implements the commitment in a partnership for a better Scotland to pilot new kick-start plans to create better value bus services. Bids must be identified by local authorities in conjunction with bus operators.
In this funding round £3.7 million over three years has been awarded to nine projects from seven transport authorities. These awards are in addition to the first round of the scheme which awarded £12.2 million to 27 projects from 13 transport authorities.
The £6.6 million which remains to be allocated from the total pot for this grant scheme will be awarded to new or revised proposals which authorities are being invited to bring forward when they are ready. To meet the objective that the scheme benefits all parts of Scotland, authorities are being given population based indicative allocations to show how much is available to an authority for further bids.