Council opposes Break Up Of Hitrans

A proposal by Scottish Transport Minister Tavish Scott to create two regional transport partnerships in the Highlands and Islands has been met with surprise and disappointment in the Highlands.

Councillor Alison Magee, Convener of The Highland Council, and Councillor Charlie King, Chairman of HITRANS, are strongly opposed to the planned break up of HITRANS, the strategic transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands, with the creation of one regional partnership for Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and another for Argyll and Bute, Highland and Moray.

They said the announcement today (Thursday) had come as a bolt from the blue, given the absence of prior discussion or consultation over the proposals, which appeared to have attracted little support from the prospective partners.

Councillor King, who is Chairman of The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services, argued that HITRANS had served the region well over the past six years. It had been held up held up as a model of an effective strategic transport partnership.

He said: "The strength of HITRANS has been in integrating transport services throughout the Highlands and Islands, with the benefits of covering an area represented by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Convention of the Highland and Islands and the Highlands and Islands Partnership Programme, which allocates European funding.

"I cannot see how the split will improve the integration of transport services in our remote and fragile area nor do I see it as improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the way we provide services.

"I have already made my views known to the Minister and am pleased that he is allowing time for us to respond to his proposals. I will be urging The Highland Council to make strong representations for the creation of a Highlands and Islands Regional Transport Partnership."

Councillor Magee, who is COSLA’s roads and transportation spokesperson, said she shared Councillor King’s concerns. "Councillor King and members of HITRANS have invested a great deal of time and effort in developing an effective partnership, which recognises the vital importance of transport in the Highlands and Islands.

"I hope that, over the next few weeks, the Minister will be prepared to listen to the views of all councils on the proposals for Regional Transport Partnerships throughout Scotland, and not just on the boundaries. Particularly, I hope he will be willing to act on our views of how these proposals might be improved, prior to the finalised Order being lodged with the Scottish Parliament in September."