PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONTRACT CHANGES IN THE AREA FROM 24 APRIL 2017

Highland Council’s public transport contracts have been renewed from 24 April 2017 (except in Sutherland where new contracts were awarded in 2015). While we are pleased to have been able to retain the same level of service on the majority of routes, due to financial constraints it has been necessary to make service reductions on some routes, and some contracts have been withdrawn. Many routes will be operated by different contractors.

Many bus routes in the Highlands are operated commercially; this means that bus companies run these routes without financial support from the Council. The Council awards contracts for services which are not provided commercially.

The table on the next pages lists all the Council’s new public transport contracts in the Inverness area.

For further information, please contact the operators of the routes you are interested in, or contact the Council’s Transport Co-ordination Unit at public.transport@.gov.uk or on 01463 252951.

Contract Route description Current Contractor Summary of changes Change of number contractor from 24 contractor (until 23 April 2017 April 2017) 100 Inverness Sheltered D & E D & E Unchanged NO Housing Shoppers' Coaches Ltd Coaches Ltd Service (Fri) 104 Milton of Leys - Stagecoach Stagecoach Unchanged NO Millburn Academy North North Scotland 105 Inverness City Stagecoach Stagecoach Minor changes NO Centre - North North (evenings) Scotland Scotland 108 Scorguie - Raigmore D & E D & E Eastern part of route NO Hospital - Inverness Coaches Ltd Coaches Ltd withdrawn as it is not Retail Park (Tue & used. Fri) 200 Newtonmore - Stagecoach Stagecoach Minor variations from NO Aviemore - North North present service Grantown - Scotland Scotland Inverness 255 Diversion of Stagecoach Stagecoach Unchanged NO commercial North North Inverness - Nairn Scotland Scotland service to Ardersier 300 Inverness - Tomatin - D & E Stagecoach Milton of Leys YES Coignafearn Coaches Ltd North omitted; minor timing Scotland changes 301 Whitebridge - Stagecoach D & E Unchanged YES Inverness North Coaches Ltd Scotland 302 Foyers - Inverness Stagecoach D & E Some timing changes YES North Coaches Ltd to allow 4.5 day Scotland school week 303 Inverness - Stagecoach D & E Minor changes YES Whitebridge off- North Coaches Ltd peak Scotland 304 Tomich - Inverness Stagecoach D & E Current 304 and 305 YES via Drumnadrochit North Coaches Ltd merged, with changes Scotland to allow 4.5 day school weeks. 305 Tomich - Glen Stagecoach n/a - see Merged with 304; YES Urquhart High North notes and Primary School Scotland above. School journeys transferred to 308. Otherwise unchanged 306 - Inverness Ross's Mini None Service withdrawn YES (Saturday evenings) Buses 307 Beauly - Hughton - D & E D & E Unchanged NO Inverness Coaches Ltd Coaches Ltd 308 Tomich - Strathglass Ross's Mini Ross's Mini Tomich (Tues) and NO - Dingwall/Inverness Buses Buses Marybank (Mon/Wed) journeys merged into a combined Mon/Wed service, giving Tomich an additional day. Cannich Bridge and Balnain Primary School journeys added. 310 Kiltarlity - Foxhole - Ross's Mini None Service withdrawn - YES Inverness (Fridays) Buses but 308 to be re- routed to partially replace it 311 Cabrich - Foxhole - Ross's Mini Ross's Mini Unchanged NO Kiltarlity - Dingwall Buses Buses (Saturdays) 312 Fort Augustus - Stagecoach Stagecoach Fort Augustus journey NO Drumnadrochit + North North replaced by new Cannich - Inverness Scotland Scotland Stagecoach Fort William - Inverness service. Minor timing changes for Cannich journeys. 400 Inverness - Kiltarlity - Stagecoach Being Partially replaced by YES Dingwall (evenings) North retendered Stagecoach Scotland commercial journeys. Contract to be awarded for remainder. 410 Cromarty - Inverness Stagecoach D & E Stagecoach will retain YES - Croy (evenings) North Coaches Ltd some journeys Scotland commercially. Contract will provide the remainder. Timing change for Croy. 513 Fort William – Stagecoach Shiel Buses Unchanged YES Inverness (early North Ltd morning & evening) Scotland