This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Bus route development grants
27/03/2007
Four projects aiming to improve local bus services in Edinburgh and Inverness are to share £2.8 million from the Executive's Bus Route Development Grant Scheme.
The projects are:
- Highland Council - Rapsons: Enhancement of Inverness to Inverness Airport services to increase frequency between Inverness City Centre and the Airport from 40 minutes to every 30 minutes, extending to Holm Park and Lochardil. Evening services will be added between Inverness and Sunnyside, also a new service linking Nairn with Inverness Airport at hourly intervals. New low-floor accessible buses with Euro 4 emissions standards will be used. Improved infrastructure including new bus shelters, enhanced kerbing, CCTV and real-time information.
- City of Edinburgh Council - First Edinburgh: Enhancement of Service 38 Linlithgow to Edinburgh service to 15 minute frequency, plus express service, delivered by low-floor accessible vehicles. Vehicles will also be route-specific branded to raise awareness of the service.
- City of Edinburgh Council - Lothian Buses service 36: Enhance frequency of service from 30 minutes between Ocean Terminal to the West End to 20 minutes with a number of passenger priority measures along the route, providing better integration and interchange and access for areas of Edinburgh with pockets of social deprivation to improved employment and health services.
- City of Edinburgh Council - Southern Interchanges development will provide improved interchanges at three key interchanges, Kaimes, Lasswade-Gilmerton Dykes and Gilmerton Crossroads. Also improved shelters, illuminated information panels, and enhanced information.
Transport Minister Tavish Scott said:
"We want to give people real alternatives to the car. That is why we are investing 70 per cent of the £1.5 billion we spend on transport in Scotland on improving public transport choices.
"If we are to entice people out of their vehicles, we must have real public transport choices that are modern, efficient, and reliable, reaching all parts of the country.
"This funding will do exactly that, meaning less congestion and less damage to our environment.
"Across the country, we are seeing the success of such schemes. Bus passenger numbers are increasing and we will do all we can to keep these numbers going up."
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.
The latest grant awards comprise the fourth round of the scheme which has so far distriubted £27 million to 50 projects from 19 transport authorities across the country.
By 2007 the Executive plans to spend £1.5 billion per year on a safer, more efficient transport network, of which 70 per cent will be targeted on public transport.
Local bus passenger journeys have increased in six of the last seven years from an all-time low of 424 million in 1998-99 to 477 million in 2005-06.