Council Welcomes RTP Announcement

The Highland Council has welcomed a decision by Transport Minister Tavish Scott to create a new regional transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands, covering Argyll and Bute, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Highlands, Moray and Orkney.

The Council accepts the proposal by the Minister to give Shetland its own partnership and to include Helensburgh and Lomond from Argyll and Bute in the West of Scotland Transport Partnership.

Initially, the Minister had proposed to establish an islands authority comprising Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and another partnership comprising Highland, Moray and Argyll and Bute, thereby splitting up HITRANS, the strategic transport partnership which has existed voluntarily for the past four years.

The Council made strong representations to the Minister to retain a Highlands and Islands partnership, which had been held up held up as a model of an effective strategic transport partnership.

Councillor Charlie King, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee said: "The Minister is to be commended for responding to our representations and I welcome his announcement.

"I am pleased that the matter has been settled and we can now get on with the serious job of agreeing a strategy and a timetable for action."