Are we ready to leave the car at home when going to Inverness city centre?
By Craig Duncan
With the general election next month, a key issue that will affect people and businesses is that of how we travel in the future.
This month for example we witnessed the roll out of designated Low Emission Zones in three more Scottish cities (Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee).
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Last July a spokesperson for Highland Council was reported as stating: “It was decided that with the ongoing work on Academy Street, the council would not adopt low emission zone status in the last round. However, Inverness may proceed when the next tranche of funding is opened.”
At the council’s economy and infrastructure committee meeting last month, the active travel strategy paper noted that plans for future pedestrianisation or reduction of traffic in Queensgate, Union Street and Post Office Avenue are “on hold - pending Academy Street… to minimise the amount of ongoing works within/around the city.”
The One City, One Vision 2035 document - predicts in just over 10 years “…gone will be a city centre prioritised for cars and buses as priority will be given to pedestrians and cyclists…”
What the above illustrates (whether these measures or others are ultimately rolled out here) is that the Academy Street proposals are potentially just the start of a much wider programme of change which aims to ‘encourage’ (some argue ‘force’ and ‘frustrate’) more of us to switch our modes of transportation away from using a private vehicle.
We all want what is best for our city meaning if correct, ensuring strong incentives and affordable, reliable and regular public transport is in place first will be vital. We’re not there yet.
Important too will be fully disclosing medium and long-term plans to voters and businesses.
Aberdeen city centre, for example, recently recorded a fall in visitors of over 500,000 in the past year alone following the introduction of fine-inducing bus gates, illustrating that it’s essential to be mindful of the risk of getting it wrong especially for those whose lives and livelihoods depend on it.
Craig Duncan is Inverness BID co-chairman and owner of Craigton Foods and McDonald’s franchisee.
