New break-bulk depot for Highlands
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OPERATORS in the Scottish Highlands are planning a joint break-bulk depot and overnight lorry park with maintenance facilities at Inverness. The North of Scotland Tipping Association ( Hi re) Ltd, (NOSTA), whose members operate nearly 600 vehicles, are holding discussions with the Highland Regional Council.
NOSTA has been in operation for 18 months; about a third of its 48 members' vehicles are tippers. Its success in establishing a co-operative played a large part in the formation of the Aberdeen Transport Agency last month (CM June 13).
NOSTA plans for a breakbulk depot at Longmore Industrial Estate, open to members and non-members alike, arose from a decision by the Regional Council to impose a two hours a day limit on deliveries by commercial vehicles in Inverness during the summer. It is often difficult for operators from the South to accurately time arrivals in the city, and members plan to offer distribution in Inverness with their own small vehicles.
A 50-vehicle temporary overnight lorry park already exists in Inverness, on a redevelopment site. But NOSTA feels a considerably larger park is needed. The depot/park will have fuel facilities operated in conjunction with the city's taxi firms.
Finance for the depot will in part be provided by NOSTA. But it is hoped that whichever company runs the re-fuelling facilities—several are already interested—and the taxi operators will provide a large amount. A grant is also possible from the Highlands and Islands Development Beard. under whose guidance NOSTA was set up.
Interest in the idea of transport co-operatives along the lines of NOSTA is growing. As well as Aberdeen, operators in the rest of Scotland show--1 considerable enthusiasm for the idea at the am. earlier this month, of the RHA's Scottish area tipping functional group. Mr P. J. Carroll, NOSTA's general manager, was elected chairman of the group after describing the background to the Inverness cooperative.