Isles of Scilly Council Statement 27 June 2014

The following press statement was issued by the IOS Council on 27 June:

In April this year, the community came together to discuss transport issues at the Transport Users' Forum. This was a good opportunity for the Transport for Scilly board to listen to transport users and to draw up an action plan. A Transport Task & Finish Group and the Isles of Scilly Transport Board have met several times. These groups were set up in response to Baroness Kramer's challenge to bring all the stakeholders together to develop a clear strategy that will address transport issues now and in the future.

The Chairman of the Council and the Chief Executive were invited by the Minister to provide an update on Thursday 26 June. The meeting provided an opportunity to explain the composition and functions of each group. The Minister endorsed the approach of partners moving towards a better transport solution by focusing on three key themes: reliability, integration and cost of transport. The delegation made a strong case for continued departmental support on current projects and shared with the Minister that the community has asked to explore further options to reduce the cost of transport.

The Minister welcomed the Chairman's invitation to visit the Isles of Scilly later in the year.

George Pearson
Community Relations Officer

Council of the Isles of Scilly, Town Hall, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0LW
Direct Line: 01720 424323 (ext: 403) | Reception: 01720 424000 | gpearson@scilly.gov.uk

Comment:

FRIST welcomes the Council’s inclusion of the cost of transport as an important issue. If the islands are to remain a mainstream tourist destination (rather than a smaller exclusive high end boutique destination) then the issue of the cost of travel has to be addressed.