A CITY-CENTRE electric train or a trolleybus were among the ideas suggested yesterday as a new transport strategy was set out for Inverness.
Councillors said a crucial element of any new system as they tried to revitalise the city-centre economy was overcoming a lack of parking.
All options are on the table as Highland Council draws up a plan to deal with a growing city and increasing congestion.
Helen Carmichael suggested running a small electric train or a bus that could make non-stop circuits of the city’s main streets, allowing people to hop on and off wherever they wanted.
The Aird and Loch Ness councillor said the vehicles, used at theme parks and in some European cities, could work in the compact centre of Inverness.
She said a similar initiative ran successfully in Prague, in the Czech Republic, allowing visitors and shoppers to get around the city.
“An Inverness train could be similar to those at theme parks which pick you up and take you round,” Mrs Carmichael said.
“It could go from the bus station, up Academy Street to the Eastgate Centre and then down High Street to the river or along Church Street and do that loop throughout the day. It would become an attraction in itself.”
Mrs Carmichael outlined her idea during a debate at yesterday’s city of Inverness area committee.
Another idea from Councillor Ken MacLeod was underground parking. The council’s wider consultation will start next month and include talks with the Inverness Business Improvement District (Bid) and other interested parties.
Councillors also want the public to become involved in the fresh look at transport and there are plans to hold a forum for community councils so they can give their input into the draft plan.
It is expected that the plan will be published in February.
Councillor Margaret Davidson urged the council not to wait too long before implementing any workable ideas for resolving parking issues.
She called on city leader Ian Brown to show “some political leadership” and work with officials and businesses on the issue.
Meanwhile, Councillor Donnie Kerr, Inverness Central, said parking was a crucial issue.
He said: “The council is taking out 60 spaces on the riverside and there are plans to remove 200 in the Rose Street area.
“We are losing a couple of hundred parking spaces in Inverness and little or no strategy on how to deal with that.”
He added that the Rose Street area – which includes the council’s own multistorey car park – was reaching capacity.
“But there are a considerable number of buildings in that area with no parking,” Mr Kerr said. “We want to return offices to the city centre but one of the reasons they left was the lack of parking.
“We are in a ‘catch 22’.”
Scott Dalgarno, Highland Council’s development plans manager, said the aim of the new strategy was not to “exclude the car”.
“We are trying to make sure that everyone has access to the city centre,” he said.
Inverness Bid manager Mike Smith said: “Parking is critical. The main difference between out-of-town retail parks and the city centre is the ease of parking.”
He added the car was the only method of transport available to many people.
Mr Smith said: “Whether there is an opportunity for Mrs Carmichael’s idea will come out in the mix.”
Aberdeen’s Labour-led council administration has set aside £20million for city-centre improvements, but admitted it has no firm plans yet on how to spend it.
The ruling coalition wants to set up a project board to make recommendations for councillors.
Senior councillors said they wanted to reach “consensus”, more than a year after divisive proposals for Union Terrace Gardens were ditched. Oil services tycoon Sir Ian Wood and other private-sector figures and representatives from the city’s universities will be invited to participate, although no approaches have yet been made.
The opposition SNP claimed setting up a commission showed the administration had “no ideas” and the issue was being “kicked into the grass”.
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