The North Coast 500 is almost too successful, with campervans parked up at night or blocking single-track roads. Users don't get to meet the community but generate carbon dioxide. Population in North Highlands is showing a decline. Using public transport encourages local purchasing, while boosting lifeline buses like the once a week bus from Thurso to Durness, which was fascinating since went off-route many times. Taxi firms are going out of business owing to level of regulation such as on insurance: it's an open question whether Uber will extend to rural areas, and most community transport vehicles have only a Section 22 permit whereas they need the higher standards of Section 19 to pick up the public. Postbuses had a huge decline from 2003 to withdrawal of last one in 2016, with a dispute between Royal Mail and Highland Council as to who was to blame.
Pre-CoVid, which is a major setback, the experience prompted these recommendations:
- there should be a link to public transport on website of North Highland Initiative
- Switzerland has tailormade service working out timetables.
- there should be greater coordination bus and train: 0618 train and 0620 bus Wick-Inverness
- need for combined ticketing
- could licensed community transport organisations advertise their times
- dial a bus available only to residents, there should be a dual tariff for subsidy of locals
- supermarkets run book-a-slot deliveries, only a small extension to adapt for delivering passengers and there should be a common carrier for all doorstep deliveries.
- Income from NC500 merchandising should contribute to supporting public transport
Visitors can enjoy a 50% discount on accommodation at Helmsdale Station.
Discussion:
- there are gaps to the NC500 route by public transport and also by bike - hitch-hiking may be the only option
- recent survey showed 33% of Scots had concerns about welcoming visitors - highest in south
- Nature Scotland survey: a third reported nuisance caused by lack of toilets in rural areas - people have all been escaping to the same place
- A campervan brings all its own supplies, buys nothing locally. Could there be more charging points and waste disposal units?
- public transport is not for people with physical disabilities or for young families
- the Durness bus company is a family affair serving different routes on other days, including journeys along part of the road towards Thurso. How has CoVid-19 impacted on its business?
- migration of people from urban to rural areas may encourage new skill-sets
- community meetings have been made more accessible by switch to Zoom
- Royal Mail is a different beast nowadays, but is now going to pick up parcels
- campervan issues could be topic for a rural transport cafe in the New Year.
Notes by John Yellowlees
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