Council Acts Swiftly to Replace Postbus Withdrawals
18th April 2009
The Highland Council has put in place interim arrangements in five Highland communities to replace postbus services withdrawn by Royal Mail on Thursday.
These arrangements will continue until the Council has met with local communities to identify sustainable long term arrangements.
The Council is disappointed that its representations to Royal Mail and the UK Government to continue the postbus services have been unsuccessful.
The services withdrawn by Royal Mail are:-Thurso - Tongue; Bettyhill - Thurso; Diabaig - Achnasheen; Applecross - Torridon and Shieldaig - Strathcarron.
Convener Sandy Park said: "I am very disappointed that Royal Mail have confirmed their withdrawal from the five routes. However, transport officers within TEC Services have moved promptly to put in place short-term replacement services in these rural communities. We will closely monitor the effectiveness of these interim arrangements before consulting with local communities about a sustainable way forward."
On the North Coast, Council support has been provided to a voluntary sector group, Transport for Tongue, to set up and operate a community car scheme in the Tongue area. Volunteer drivers will provide transport, using their own cars, to residents who do not have other transport available. It is expected that this will be operating within the next few weeks, with other elements of the Transport for Tongue project to be introduced later.
The decision to award the grant has been brought forward because of the postbus withdrawals.
Also, an existing bus contract with Stagecoach has been increased so that:
• An existing 2 days/week off-peak Thurso-Bettyhill service has been converted to 5 days/week, including a route extension to Tongue. The existing outward journey at 10.55 am has been retimed to 9.40 am to match the postbus times. Return times are close to the previous postbus timetable.
• Two Thurso-Tongue return trips per day have also been introduced on Saturdays.
• The 4 pm Thurso - Bettyhill bus will extend to Tongue on request, although this is only a short-term arrangement until Transport for Tongue are ready to commence operations.
In Wester Ross, arrangements have been made with Lochcarron Garage for services which will replace the Applecross - Torridon and Diabaig - Achnasheen postbuses on similar timetables, albeit on an on-request basis. Bookings are required by 6 pm on the previous day (6pm on Saturdays for a Monday journey) by phoning Lochcarron Garage on 01520 722205. 4-seater cars will be used which is the same as the existing capacity on the Applecross route, but less than on the Diabaig route. However, both cars will be able to cover the Torridon - Achnasheen section if demand exceeds the capacity of one car.
The Shieldaig - Strathcarron postbus is the least used of the network, and other existing buses provide adequate alternatives. A small diversion to Achintraid is being added to DMK Motors' Shieldaig - Strathcarron bus route on request as this diversion was only served by the postbus.
All of these new services will commence on Monday 20 April.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Members have considered an update on the Council's medium term financial plan and the impact of the UK and Scottish Governments’ budgets on the coming year’s funding settlement. The position is currently looking more positive than initially planned for, however more detail needs to be worked through.
In November, The Highland Council launched a public statutory consultation to seek views on the proposed introduction of a Visitor Levy scheme across the Highlands. The Council has announced an extension to this consultation period, which will now give businesses, visitors and communities until 31 March 2025, an additional seven weeks, to take part and have their say.
In the light of the financial forecast for 2025-26, Highland Council is inviting you to tell us more in the budget preparation for the coming financial year. The budget engagement builds on extensive budget participation which took place in the winter of 2023-24.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Every year Highland Council invites all tenants to have their say on the rent levels for the following year. The Council encourages everyone that lives in a council house to take this chance to have their say.
Communities and Place Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 27 November 2024) and Members agreed the Highland Local Child Poverty Action Report which includes actions for delivery in 2024/25. Reducing child poverty is a priority for the Council and its partners.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Members of the Highland Council's Community and Place Committee have given their support to an action plan focusing on the operating of public conveniences over the next 10 years. Whilst not a statutory function, the Council is the main provider of public conveniences located throughout Highland, operating 74 sites.
A report published on 27 November 2024 by LGIU (Local Government Information Unit) looks at the state of funding for councils by the Scottish Government. Confidence in the sustainability of council finances is critically low.
At today's (Wednesday 27 November 2024) Communities & Place Committee, Members agreed the most appropriate long-term strategic direction for residual waste management is to continue to utilise a merchant provider solution. Communities & Place Committee Chair, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: "After careful consideration and analysis it has been agreed that a merchant provider solution is considered the most appropriate long term solution to our statutory waste management obligations, and that an energy-from- waste facility within the Highlands is not considered to be a suitable course of action.