Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) weighs in on row over Academy Street in Inverness
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The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) which represents publicans has written to Inverness councillors claiming other cities have suffered through implementing similar traffic control measures to those proposed for Academy Street.
Colin Wilkinson, SLTA managing director, writes to members that it is "deeply concerned" about the proposals for bus lanes on Academy Street which will prevent it being used as a through route by other traffic.
"The experience of SLTA members in other towns and cities centres across Scotland, where traffic reduction measures have been applied, such as Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Leith, is that there have been significant reductions in trade and business viability, leading to an increase in business failures as a result of such measures being introduced," he says.
"Recent data from CGA Neilson [a research consultancy for the food and drink industry] has demonstrated a clear correlation between the cities with the highest hospitality business closures and those same cities with the largest traffic reduction interventions.
"We would particularly draw your attention to Glasgow and Aberdeen where the two cities with the greatest drive towards removing traffic from their city centres over the last few years, are also the two cities that have suffered most business failures."
City councillors are due to decide on Monday whether to progress plans for new traffic measures on Academy Street or abandon them – including removing the current bollards providing additional space for pedestrians.
City centre businesses have come out largely against the proposals though others have voiced their support.
Mr Wilkinson continues: "Quite simply, the harder you make it for customers to get to businesses, the fewer customers will come.
"The implementation of any measures which make visiting city or town centres more difficult or circuitous, or reduces the willingness of drivers to drop off family or friends in town, due to fear of getting a bus gate fine, would not be of benefit to the people of, visitors to, or businesses within, Inverness city at this time.
"Whilst we all appreciate the need to move towards a net zero society, this can only be achieved in a sustainable way where there has been significant local investment in an integrated public transport network that operates frequent services, well into the night, and to outlying areas and surrounding communities. And of course, such investment would need to be made well in advance of implementing measures which deter visits by other transport modes, such as private vehicles.
"Edinburgh for example has invested billions of pounds over the years building a transport infrastructure. However, the association’s local members are not aware of any credible proposals to make the required degree of public transport investment in Inverness city or indeed the Inverness and Highlands area needed, and certainly not before the Academy Street proposals would be completed.
"The association would urge you not to support the Academy Street proposals in their current form and to meaningfully consult with local businesses to co-design new proposals that would better address the concerns of operators in Inverness city."
