Transport / Transport flagged as key issue for young people
TRANSPORT is the biggest issue for youngsters in the isles, members of the Shetland Youth Voice group have told councillors.
They were given the chance to present their findings from a recent transport project to elected members on Monday.
Among the transport-related issues young people in Shetland face include timetables, overcrowding and behaviour on school buses and the cost of travel.
It comes after a special transport summit was hosted by Shetland Youth Voice on board the NorthLink ferry in January, with a range of guests including representatives of Shetland Islands Council (SIC), Transport Scotland and Loganair.
Three members of Shetland Youth Voice – Kali Thomson (S6, Anderson High School), Morgan Wright (S5, Brae High School) and Anya Hawkins (S3, Sandwick Junior High School) – gave a presentation in front of the SIC’s environment and transport committee on Monday.
Wright said transport affects how young people get to school, work and social events and can influence where people stay in Shetland, or might even encourage them to leave.
Hawkins also noted that young people often struggle with bus timetables, particularly in rural areas, and in evenings and at weekends.
She highlighted how there are no buses from Lerwick to Brae between 5pm and 9pm, for instance.
Wright said overcrowding can be another issue on buses with “some having to stand for their entire journey”.
He also said “young people want better integration between bus and ferry services”.
Their research also showed that young people often view getting a driving licence as a priority.
Thomson also highlighted a number of issues with school transport.
While many young people said the transport is reliable and most drivers are friendly, “overcrowding is a major problem”.
There were also reports of vandalism and bullying on school buses.
“Some students felt unsafe due to rowdy or disruptive behaviour,” Thomson said.
She also said youngsters highlighted that some buses are old and uncomfortable with “bumpy rides making them feel unwell”.
A key suggestion here is improving the condition of buses and increasing capacity to reduce overcrowding.
The topic of the cost of air travel was also raised, with Loganair encouraged to better advertise student travel discounts.
A suggestion was also put forward that Loganair could provide free or discounted travel a few times a year for young people, like the scheme set up for the NorthLink ferries.
Summing up, Thomson said young people face “real challenges” with transport – namely “limited services, high cost and safety concerns”.
She said the transport summit in January gave young people the chance to share their views – and there is a hope to see “real action” taken.
During questioning Lerwick South councillor Dennis Leask praised the presentation and asked whether there was a solution to overcoming behavioural issues on school buses.
Responding, Thomson highlighted communication between drivers and schools.
When asked if there is potentially a fear from drivers about facing up to behaviour on board, Thomson said she thought this was a “key issue”.
“I think that bus drivers often don’t have the same level of authority as the school teachers and people within the school have, so the bus drivers feel nervous about disciplining the students as they’re not necessarily sure where they stand,” she said.
Committee chair Moraig Lyall said she attended the transport summit on board the NorthLink boat and enjoyed engaging with the young folk.
But she warned that many of the issues “don’t stop at young people” and are faced by older people as well within the community.
Lyall also had a word of praise for Sonny Thomason in Shetland Islands Council’s youth and employability service, who is making a “remarkable difference” in his role as youth participation and empowerment project officer.
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