The Annandale Transport Initiative (ATI) provided a written submission to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee's inquiry into community transport in Scotland. ATI has operated community transport services in Annandale, Scotland since 1999 using 6 accessible minibuses and 2 people carriers. It serves over 150 community groups and individual users with over 40 volunteer drivers. ATI requested more long-term and stable funding from the local council to aid planning. It also called for a national capital grant scheme to support bus replacement and leasing, as its fleet is aging. ATI supported a national strategy for community transport requiring local authorities to take a strategic approach, and for the Scottish Government to embrace community transport as more than a cheap delivery method through adequate
The Annandale Transport Initiative (ATI) provided a written submission to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee's inquiry into community transport in Scotland. ATI has operated community transport services in Annandale, Scotland since 1999 using 6 accessible minibuses and 2 people carriers. It serves over 150 community groups and individual users with over 40 volunteer drivers. ATI requested more long-term and stable funding from the local council to aid planning. It also called for a national capital grant scheme to support bus replacement and leasing, as its fleet is aging. ATI supported a national strategy for community transport requiring local authorities to take a strategic approach, and for the Scottish Government to embrace community transport as more than a cheap delivery method through adequate
Original Description:
Response to Iain Gray MSP's bus reregulation bill consultation.
The Annandale Transport Initiative (ATI) provided a written submission to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee's inquiry into community transport in Scotland. ATI has operated community transport services in Annandale, Scotland since 1999 using 6 accessible minibuses and 2 people carriers. It serves over 150 community groups and individual users with over 40 volunteer drivers. ATI requested more long-term and stable funding from the local council to aid planning. It also called for a national capital grant scheme to support bus replacement and leasing, as its fleet is aging. ATI supported a national strategy for community transport requiring local authorities to take a strategic approach, and for the Scottish Government to embrace community transport as more than a cheap delivery method through adequate
The Annandale Transport Initiative (ATI) provided a written submission to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee's inquiry into community transport in Scotland. ATI has operated community transport services in Annandale, Scotland since 1999 using 6 accessible minibuses and 2 people carriers. It serves over 150 community groups and individual users with over 40 volunteer drivers. ATI requested more long-term and stable funding from the local council to aid planning. It also called for a national capital grant scheme to support bus replacement and leasing, as its fleet is aging. ATI supported a national strategy for community transport requiring local authorities to take a strategic approach, and for the Scottish Government to embrace community transport as more than a cheap delivery method through adequate
At its meeting on 20 February 2013 the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee (ICI) agreed its approach to an inquiry into community transport in Scotland.
The outcome was the 7 th August 2013 (Session 4) Report on Community Transport which is some 60 pages in length. The Committee heard oral evidence as well as written evidence from a wide range of community transport operators who had spent a considerable amount of time and effort to ensure these responses were clear, concise and well structured. ATI is of the belief that examination of this document will answer the questions raised in the above proposed bill.
COMMUNITY TRANSPORT INQUIRY ANNANDALE TRANSPORT INITIATIVE WRITTEN SUBMISSION ATI has delivered community transport to the Annandale area since 1999. It has grown from two accessible minibuses to 6 accessible minibuses and 2 people carriers. There are presently 150 registered groups and a number individual users, along with over 40 volunteer drivers and 4 admin/maintenance staff. ATI has achieved Investors in People recognition on 3 occasions. ATI has taken on an increasingly important community transport role in the Annandale area and is hoping to expand to include the area of Eskdale which includes Langholm. To help ensure ATIs continued existence and growth on behalf of ATI I would like to make the following contributions to your inquiry. 1. Since the CONCORDAT when the Scottish Government devolved responsibility for funding to Local Authorities ATI has been well supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council in terms of annual funding. However the Council funds for one year at a time which makes forward planning, Business Plans and support from other funders exceptionally difficult. ATI would like funding to be for 3 year periods as previously administered by RCTI. 2. Our minibus fleet is ageing and despite a very rigorous maintenance programme a number of our buses will soon need to be replaced. ATI would like the Scottish Government to create a scheme to support Capital Grant funding and investigate a National scheme to allow leasing of buses to be affordable. 3. ATI would support a National Strategy for Community Transport which would require Local Authorities to have a similarly strategic approach to CT. The Third Sector is increasingly important to delivering services in Scotland. Unfortunately this seems to be mistaken as a way to deliver services more cheaply. The Scottish Government should embrace the values of the Voluntary Sector and commit to helping the Third Sector by having a clear strategy to provide appropriate and adequate funding. This would still be a 'best value' decision by the government Gordon G Ferrie Director Annandale Transport Initative 18 April 2013