11/19/2014 - Minister announces further funding for Scotland’s bus services
Transport Minister Keith Brown today announced over £3 million worth of funding to be allocated to bus projects across Scotland over the next two years.
Thirteen projects, including interchange hubs and community transport, will receive grants under the second round of Transport Scotland’s Bus Investment Fund (BIF). The Highlands and Islands have been particularly successful with 7 of the projects being secured by HITRANS, our partner Councils or community transport groups in the Highlands and Islands.
The BIF encourages partnership working to help improve bus services, standards and infrastructure for communities across Scotland.
The successful projects include:
• A93 Mini-interchange Hubs – Aberdeenshire
• Tagsa Uibhist Community Services - Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
• Clyde Gateway Sustainable Transport – Glasgow/South Lanarkshire
• Glenkens Transport Initiative – Dumfries & Galloway
• Ulva Ferry Community Transport – Argyll & Bute (Mull)
• Badenoch & Strathspey Integrated Transport – Highland Council
• iTravel Project – HITRANS
• Loch Lomond Bike Bus – Argyll & Bute Council
• Coach Service 918 Enhancement (Oban + Fort William) – Argyll & Bute Council and Highland Council
• nSGH Bus Route Improvements – Glasgow
• Urban Freedom Health Cycle – Moray Council
• Regional RTPI Bus Fit-Out (Fife, West Lothian, Falkirk) - SEStran
• Digital Live Information Displays in Public & Private Sector Premises – SEStran
Transport Minister Keith Brown said:
“I was delighted by the level of interest shown in this year’s Bus Investment Fund and would like to congratulate all the successful applicants who have secured substantial funding.
“This fund supports community groups, authorities and operators across the country, helping to improve the standard of bus services, increasing patronage thereby achieving greater modal shift.
“The Scottish Government is committed to improving bus services in Scotland and that is why we have provided a further round of funding under the Bus Investment Fund.”
James Stockan, HITRANS Chair welcomed the news of their successful application:
“HITRANS are delighted that the iTravel project has been awarded grant funding from the Scottish Government’s Bus Investment Fund. This project will see HITRANS and its five partner local authorities sharing resources to improve the quality of public transport information at bus stops and transport interchanges across the Highlands and Islands.
“Currently even many of our busiest stops don’t have reliable up to date timetable information which is vital for those who rely on public transport and essential if we are to encourage more locals and tourists alike to use these services in the future.”
iTravel will see the development of a shared services project that will establish a new post with the responsibility for co-ordinating the provision of public transport information across the HITRANS area and in so doing improve the quantity and quality of public transport information available to the public. The project will fund the production and provision of timetable displays at stops and will see an increase in real time information coverage including innovative solar powered displays at transport interchanges.
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