Transport Scotland have written to The Highland Council to advise that they have taken the decision to pause the Bus Partnership Fund.
Transport Scotland have written to The Highland Council to advise that they have taken the decision to pause the Bus Partnership Fund.
At today’s meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillors had the opportunity to discuss progress made with projects using money from the Fund and implications the pause may have on ones in Highland still to be completed. They also agreed to reply to the letter to say members are “gravely disappointed” and the decision will have an impact on other Active Travel projects.
To enable Councils to invest in facilities, the Scottish Government introduced a Bus Partnership Fund (BPF), delivered by Transport Scotland of £500m over 5 years.
The Highland Council secured Phase 1 funding of £2.9m for 7 projects in the Inner Moray Firth & 3 projects in Lochaber. There is potential that a further £47m could be secured for further phases of specific projects subject to a gateway review by Transport Scotland.
Chair of the Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “Funding for the Bus Partnership Fund projects have been placed on pause by Transport Scotland beyond the end of the 2023/24 financial year. We are liaising closely with Transport Scotland to seek confirmation of when funding will resume. We, of course, continue to proactively be look at alternative funding streams.”
He added: “Alongside walking, wheeling and cycling, public transport is a much more efficient use of road space and more environmentally friendly way of moving around.
“We are committed to continue our work to provide some of the exciting changes to modernise the local transport network.The overall aim is to cut congestion and car usage by offering more reliable public travel choices.”
In the update given to Councillors today, it was stressed that whilst it is the aim of the Project Team to deliver as many of the projects as possible before the end of the 2023/24 financial year, it is recognised that there is outstanding work on several of the projects, particularly the STAG appraisals.
One of the key projects due to be completed this financial year is the Raigmore Bus Gate which is now nearing completion. Installation for an ANPR Barrier allowing access to the bus gate by buses and emergency services is about to get underway. The project team aspire to have the bus gate open by the end of March 2024.
Another project that will be unaffected by the funding pause is the City Centre Traffic Light Prioritisation to help the delivery of more reliable and punctual bus services throughout the centre of Inverness. Upgrades are being carried out on twenty traffic light junctions at key locations as well as upgrades to the on-bus ticket machines aboard Stagecoach buses. These upgrades will enable these traffic lights to react to real-time information sent from the on-board ticket machines on the buses. This realtime information provided will determine if the vehicle requires priority at the junction and then the Traffic Lights will react accordingly.
The original twenty sites were successfully upgraded and activated last year. Work on an additional six further traffic light sites is nearing completion. All sites should be operational by the end of February 2024.
Also, due to be completed this financial year is the new Torvean Mobility Hub which will be the first of its kind in the Highlands. Work is expected to be completed by the end of March and services will start soon after.
Risks of the funding pause on other projects was detailed in the report which is available here (Item 9)
Changes to Active Travel funding have also been announced by Transport Scotland. The committee members were advised that officers will bring a further paper to them once more information has been received from Transport Scotland.