HITRANS, which covers approximately half of Scotland’s land area including Argyll and Bute, Highland, Moray, Orkney, and the Western Isles, was highly commended in the John Prescott Regional Transport Authority of the Year category at the UK-wide Transport Times National Transport Awards. This commendation highlights the achievements of a relatively small organisation working in partnership to address the critical transport needs of its region, ensuring access to employment, education, healthcare, and essential services.
Councillor Uisdean Robertson, HITRANS chair, expressed delight at the repeated recognition. He stated, “To receive this recognition alongside transport authorities from across the UK is a tremendous tribute to our small, dedicated team and the partners we work with. In the Highlands and Islands, transport connectivity shapes people’s opportunities and quality of life.” He emphasised the challenges of long distances and island geography, noting the partnership's focus on practical solutions to improve journeys.
Recent initiatives by HITRANS include a successful regional £2 bus fare cap pilot, delivered in collaboration with ZetTrans and Transport Scotland. This scheme, which saw over 1.5 million journeys by the end of August 2026 with average passenger savings exceeding £6 per journey, aimed to reduce travel costs and boost public transport usage. Bus trips across the region reportedly increased by 36% year-on-year.
The Transport Scotland-funded People and Place programme, supporting sustainable travel, engaged over 26,000 participants in 2025-26. This programme led to new or upgraded facilities at 59 locations, inspections and repairs for 1,783 bicycles, and the refurbishment and rehoming of 353 cycles. It also facilitated inclusive cycling projects and promoted active travel in schools and workplaces.
Furthermore, HITRANS is advancing sustainable aviation through two new projects funded by the Department for Transport. These initiatives, Project SEAN (Scottish Electric Aviation Network) and the SATE Hydrogen Roadmap, stem from HITRANS' leadership of the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) programme. The projects will support electric aircraft demonstrations from Inverness and explore hydrogen-powered aviation for regional routes, aligning with the partnership's ten-year Regional Sustainable Aviation Strategy.
