Council Acts to Relieve City Centre Congestion

The Highland Council will introduce a number of positive traffic management measures this week to relieve the congestion in the city centre before the peak summer season.

To allow the £6 million streetscape project and water main renewal works to proceed as quickly and safely as possible, the Council is encouraging motorists to park outwith the streets affected during the busy summer months.

As of tomorrow (Wednesday 13), discounted parking of 20p for two hours on car park levels 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be introduced in the Old Town Rose Street Car Park to reinforce the “Park and Stride” campaign currently running. This special rate will apply throughout the summer period and will be reviewed at the end of October 2007.

The pay and display parking on Union Street and Queensgate will be suspended from 6am on Thursday 14 June, and the nine parking bays in these streets will be temporarily re-designated for disabled parking to give priority to those with mobility problems.

To further reduce congestion in Queensgate, the right turn from Bank Street into Fraser Street will be restricted to buses later this week..

The traffic signals on Academy Street are once again fully integrated with the city centre network which will optimise flows and alleviate the recent delays at the Queensgate and Chapel Street junctions.

Provost Bob Wynd, chairman of the City of Inverness Committee of The Highland Council, said: “I am very pleased that officers have been able to implement these temporary measures.  It is vital that our city centre remains accessible during the improvement works and copes with the additional pressures during the summer season.  A meeting with the public transport operators and Inverness Taxi Association will be held next week to update them and review progress, and a similar meeting is planned with business representatives and other stakeholders the following week. Invitations and details will be issued this week.”

Provost Wynd added: “A number of bus stops have been created in neighbouring streets and we are in discussion with the bus companies about relocating some bus routes. The Council and City Partnership need the continued co-operation from all concerned to help implement the £6m Streetscape Programme.  With a bit of compromise from everyone we will achieve a much more attractive and efficient city centre.”

For further information please contact Marie Mackintosh, City Partnership Officer on 01463 723539