People across the Highlands are to be asked what they want from their bus services as plans for a new partnership between the Council, transport operators and HITRANS move to public consultation.
Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee has backed a 12 week consultation on the proposed Highland Bus Service Improvement Partnership, with further details expected to be announced shortly.
The partnership is intended to create a formal framework through which Highland Council, HITRANS and bus operators can work together on improving services.
Reliability, accessibility, consistency and making bus travel more attractive to passengers are among the priorities identified within the proposals.
Initial plans would concentrate on the Inner Moray Firth and Fort William and Lochaber areas, with the possibility of extending the approach to other parts of the Highlands in future.
The proposals have been under development for several years, having previously been reported to councillors in 2023.
No final decision has yet been taken on establishing the partnership, with the consultation intended to give passengers, communities and other interested groups an opportunity to influence what happens next.
Councillor Ken Gowans, Chair of Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said:
“Reliable, accessible and attractive bus services are vital to many people across Highland, helping our communities stay connected to employment, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities.
“The Committee’s support for this consultation is an important milestone in developing a long-term partnership approach to improving bus travel across the region.
“Following the decision today, an engagement plan will be prepared, and more details of the consultation will follow.”
The consultation comes at a time when the importance of bus services to rural communities has been highlighted by wider work on public transport across Scotland.
For people without access to a car, the availability and reliability of buses can determine whether they can realistically reach work, education, medical appointments and essential services.
That challenge becomes particularly pronounced across the Highlands, where communities can be separated by considerable distances and alternative public transport can be limited or nonexistent.
The proposed partnership would not itself guarantee additional routes or more frequent buses, but would establish a structure for the Council, HITRANS and operators to work together on improvements.
The consultation will therefore provide an opportunity for the people who actually depend upon those services to make clear where the problems are and what needs to change.
Council officers will now prepare an engagement plan before the 12 week consultation begins.
Once the public consultation and further discussions with bus operators have been completed, another report will go before the Economy and Infrastructure Committee before councillors make any final decision on the partnership.
