Calling South Ronaldsay – where and when would you like to see community transport pilot?

Orkney Islands Council’s Transportation Service is asking residents in South Ronaldsay to suggest the best days and times for an on-demand door-to-door community transport service in the area.

The service would be available for anyone in the community to use, providing a link to local services in the Hope and onwards to Kirkwall via the existing X1 bus.

The trial will be funded from the Council’s Sustainable and Green Transport Fund - a pot established from bus passenger fare income, for improvements and enhancements to active and sustainable travel initiatives across the county.

The service would operate using an electric bus which is also wheelchair accessible and will be registered so that concessionary passengers travel free of charge when using a valid National Entitlement Card or Young Scot Card.

The team are keen to find out which two days in the week folk would find most helpful, and the preferred timings – early morning, mid-morning, etc.

The project was initiated following feedback from the Council’s Community Transport Review, and general feedback about the X1 service run commercially by Stagecoach.

Laura Cromarty is the Council’s Transportation Service Manager:

“We are aware that there are no transport links beyond the Hope and that this has been a request to try and address for many years.

"In such a dispersed population, it can be challenging to provide scheduled public bus services as demand is generally low.

"We are therefore pleased to trial an on-demand two day per week service to help residents connect with local facilities or onwards travel such as the ferry or bus.

"Whilst this is a limited service which won't suit everyone, we hope it will help connect some residents who may not have access to a car and allow them to be more independent by providing a service which is affordable and reliable.

“At this stage we would like to get a sense of how residents think they would use the service, including preferred days of the week and time of travel.

"It would also be useful to understand the reason for travel i.e. work, education, shopping or for specific appointments such as doctors and if demand is largely to connect with local services in the Hope or onwards to Kirkwall via the existing established service.

“Look out for discussion threads on the South Ronaldsay and Burray Facebook page, or email transport@orkney.gov.uk with what would work for you, and whereabouts in South Ronaldsay you live.”

Comments are requested by 21 March.

Find out more about the Council's Sustainable and Green Transport Fund (SGTF), here.