HITRANS urges public to give views on 20-year vision for improved transport in Highlands and Islands
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How can access to public and shared transport be improved in the Highlands and Islands?
And how can walking, wheeling and cycling be made more accessible in communities across the region?
These are some of the issues being explored in a public consultation to shape a 20-year vision for transport improvements in the Highlands, Moray, Western Isles, Orkney and the Argyll and Bute local authority areas.
HITRANS, the Regional Transport Partnership for the Highlands and Islands, is seeking the views of the public on its new draft Regional Transport Strategy (RTS).
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The statutory eight-week consultation period, which began yesterday, runs until Friday June 14 during which time people are invited to comment on the strategy and associated policies by completing a survey on the information provided.
The draft strategy has identified 11 themes each containing a set of policies to address the transport challenges and problems in the Highlands and Islands.
The final strategy will provide the framework for the development of transport in the region.
It is necessarily a comprehensive document which must be relevant to immediate issues but also medium to longer-term challenges which will take many years to address.
Following the review of the public consultation, HITRANS will seek Ministerial approval of the finalised Regional Transport Strategy, at which point it will also publish a delivery plan setting out priorities for implementing the strategy.
The delivery plan will be updated regularly, providing an opportunity to reset or realign priorities to the changing political, social, environmental and economic landscape.
The six objectives of the strategy are to:-
* Make a just transition to a post-carbon and more environmentally sustainable transport network.
* Transform and provide safe and accessible connections between and within our city, towns and villages to enable walking, wheeling and cycling for all.
* Widen access to public and shared transport and improve connectivity within and from/to the region.
* Improve the quality and integration of public and shared transport within and from/to the region.
* Ensure reliable, resilient, affordable and sustainable connectivity for all from/to our island, peninsular and remote communities.
* Improve the efficiency, safety and resilience of our transport networks for people and freight and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Ranald Robertson, director of HITRANS, is encouraging as many people as possible to have their say.
“Consulting with the public is the vitally important final stage of updating the Regional Transport Strategy, which guides our priorities for action and spending and lies at the heart of what we aim to achieve and deliver for the communities we serve,” he said.
“The strategy reflects national policy and legislation but at the same time reflects the very distinctive character of our region.”
An online StoryMap sets out an overview of the RTS development process; a summary of the RTS vision and strategy objectives, themes and policies; the draft RTS and supporting documents and a survey on the material presented.
Hard copies of the documentation can be inspected or are available from HITRANS Office, Inverness Town House, 1 High Street, Inverness IV11JJ.
