Transport / Wishart raises Sumburgh Airport shuttle bus idea
However it does not look like the proposal – which comes agains the backdrop of parking charges at the airport – will be taken up
SHETLAND MSP Beatrice Wishart has suggested a dedicated shuttle bus between Lerwick and Sumburgh as a “convenient and sustainable” way to provide greater public transport access to the airport.
She has raised the idea with operator Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), adding it could help to reduce pressure on the car park at the airport.
Wishart also suggested the shuttle bus could be battery-powered.
However HIAL chair Lorna Jack said the government-owned company does not have the funding to contribute to a shuttle bus service, but added it would welcome any proposals from Shetland Islands Council (SIC) or ZetTrans to explore such a service.
The idea has also effectively been ruled out by the SIC’s transport planning manager Michael Craigie, however, who said the number six bus to and from the south end was the highest frequency route in Shetland and added that an extra dedicated airport service could cost more than £500,000 a year.
Wishart raised the idea of a shuttle bus after Shetland News revealed earlier this year that HIAL was due to reintroduce a £3-a-day parking fee at the airport.
The charge was first introduced in 2018 to generate more income for HIAL, but due to a fault with equipment it was temporarily waived for more than a year before being reintroduced.
Some have always felt the location of Sumburgh – 25 miles from Lerwick at the southern tip of Shetland – meant the fee was unfair, particularly given the service six public bus between Lerwick and the south end does not directly align with Loganair’s timetables.
In a letter to HIAL bosses, seen by Shetland News, Wishart highlighted how difficult it is for people from outlying parts of Shetland such as the North Isles and the Westside to get public transport to the airport.
She also said it was frustrating that HIAL was reintroducing the fee to park at Sumburgh Airport.
“Parking charges are considered a further tax on island life, where passengers are already experiencing a higher cost of living, and I regularly receive complaints about the high cost of air fares in and out of Sumburgh from local residents, incoming visitors and business travellers alike,” the MSP wrote.
Wishart also highlighted freedom of information figures that showed that at their peak in 2019/20 the parking charge generated around £86,500 – which was just over 1.4 per cent of Sumburgh Airport’s income.
“As a regular user of the airport, as part of my weekly commute to the Scottish Parliament, I am well aware that parking demand has not diminished, and demand exceeds space especially over school holiday periods,” she added.
In her letter to HIAL Wishart also noted Shetland Islands Council’s trial of an electric bus, and suggested a dedicated battery-powered shuttle bus between Sumburgh Airport and Lerwick which would have a timetable aligned to flight arrivals and departures.
“Such a service could be sustainable and convenient, reducing cars and emissions as well as reducing car park demand,” she said.
“It would also allow those who travel from further parts of Shetland to use the car park without the impact of a charge where they are unable to use public transport to get to the airport.”
But HIAL chair Jack said that car parking charges is an income stream that “will continue to help reduce the subsidy requirement from Transport Scotland [to HIAL] and ultimately reduce the cost to the taxpayer”.
She added that there is “extreme financial pressure” facing public bodies.
Responding directly to the shuttle bus suggestion, Jack said: “Our current focus is on our core activity of operating 11 regional airports and ensuring that they remain safe and meet regulatory requirements.
“That said, and although we do not have funding to contribute to a bus shuttle service between Lerwick and the airport, should Shetland Islands Council or ZetTrans explore a dedicated shuttle we would welcome its introduction.”
Wishart later met with the airport manager, where HIAL’s stance was reaffirmed.
SIC transport planning chief Craigie, who is the lead officer for transport partnership ZetTrans, said there is already a “very comprehensive” public bus service to Sumburgh.
The number six service runs from early morning through to night, with many runs spread through the day, and the cost amounts to just over £1 million per year.
Craigie highlighted how the number six bus also serves communities on the route to Sumburgh, and not just the airport.
“A dedicated ‘express’ bus to the airport would still take 30 minutes,” he added.
“I acknowledge that, for those who want their end-to-end journey time to be as short as possible, a reduction in travel time would be welcome.
“However, for the wider communities in the south end it would be of limited or even no value, unless we introduced intermediate stops at key interchanges/settlements.
“Then we are just moving back to the conventional number six, albeit with less stops, with resulting increased journey time.
“We should also bear in mind that taking existing airport passengers off the existing number six services would diminish the value for money of those services through lost income, albeit that income would still exist but on an additional, costly, service.”
Craigie did say that the Sumburgh car parking charges can be a “costly addition” to people’s travel, and the issue becomes particularly acute in peak months where capacity on the NorthLink ferry is limited.
In conclusion the transport planning chief said he does not see a “compelling value for money case or a policy alignment case” that warrants directing staff resources to prepare a business case for consideration.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
