Rural Transport Convention, Inverness - Event Report

People from across Scotland came together to debate the challenges and opportunities presented by transport in rural areas at the Rural Transport Convention in Inverness on 11 and 12 of September.

Over a hundred delegates including people living in rural areas, representatives from the public and private sector and policy makers including Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson, gathered to discuss how transport can be improved and shaped to link up rural businesses and communities.

The convention will help to feed into the government’s new National Transport Strategy – the NTS2 – which will be published for public consultation next year, ensuring that a rural perspective is embedded into the way that Scotland’s transport systems are shaped.

Delivering his keynote speech, Mr Matheson said:

“We are very clear that any discussion on our future transport system must reflect the distinct needs of our rural communities and the rural economy. We appreciate the key role that transport has in creating an environment where sustainable and diverse rural communities can grow.

“Our transport system enables people and communities to access public services, jobs, education, health care, family and social networks. It brings goods to market at the right time and at a price that the end consumer is willing and able to pay. It helps tourists access our many and varied wonderful attractions”

You can watch Mr Matheson's keynote speech in full below.

Michael Matheson keynote speech - Rural Transport Convention, Inverness, 11 September from ScottishRuralNetwork on Vimeo.

Day one of the convention focused on meeting the needs of rural businesses, with speakers from organisations including Transport Scotland, the University of Aberdeen and Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership debating topics such as freight and logistics, tourism, and mobility as a service.

The agenda on the second day looked at meeting the needs of rural communities and individuals, with workshops including maximising the benefits of new technology, meeting the distinct transport  needs of older and younger people and maximising the benefits of bus partnerships.

The two-day event was organised by Scottish Rural Action in partnership with the Scottish Rural Network, Jenny Milne (JLM) and with support from Transport Scotland’s National Transport Strategy Review Team. 

As the convention drew to a close, Chair of Scottish Rural Action Emma Cooper said:

“People from different communities have learned from and inspired each other at this conference. They have made relationships that will help them develop their own transport projects.

“It has been a really wonderful opportunity for people to get together and get down to the nitty gritty of transport in rural areas, and to identify those solutions.

“We will be taking forward these rural views on transport for further discussion at the Scottish Rural Parliament this year and continuing to influence the National Transport Strategy and other transport policy.”

Presentations from the event are available on the Scottish Rural Action website here https://www.sra.scot/rural-transport-convention-2/  

Further information on the National Transport Strategy Review can be found at:  www.transport.gov.scot/ntsreview