Bus improvements timetabled for Oban and Lorn

A bus lane on the A85 trunk road and upgraded town traffic lights are among planned improvements to Oban and Lorn services after a bid for Scottish Government funding was successful.

Argyll and Bute Bus Partnership tapped into the Scottish Government’s Bus Partnership Fund to introduce bus priority measures designed to make local services quicker, more reliable and more attractive as an alternative to the car.

Planned improvements by Argyll and Bute Council working with HITRANS, the regional transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands, and bus operator West Coast Motors include establishing a bus lane on the A85 trunk road and upgrading existing traffic signals with adaptive bus priority to help improve bus journey times and the reliability of services.

The funding will also see the establishment of an Oban and Lorn bus service improvement partnership to bring together other key transport operators and organisations to improve services. Argyll and Bute Council Leader and HITRANS board member Councillor Robin

Currie welcomed the Scottish announcement of investment.

He said: ‘The Bus Partnership Fund allows local authorities to work in partnership with bus operators to develop and deliver ambitious schemes to reduce congestion on roads and address a decline in the number of people using public transport. I am delighted Argyll and Bute Bus Partnership has been successful with its exciting plans for Oban and Lorn and hope it can be used as a springboard to deliver further improvements.’

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