The organisers of the country’s biggest music festival, T in the Park, have announced new transport plans for this year’s event.
Following a large number of complaints after the festival’s first year at its new site at Strathallan, Perthshire, DF Concerts have stated there will now be separate road access for buses and cars, a “well managed” pick-up and drop-off area and a new bus depot with more than 40 stances.
The festival will begin on Friday, July 7, if permission is granted by Perth and Kinross Council.
DF Concerts have also produced an animated video showing the new transport set-up.
In a report written by Moina McLaren, solicitor with Perth and Kinross Council, included in DF Concerts’ application for a public entertainments licence, she highlights the difficulties experienced by many T in the Park revellers last summer.
“Given the increase in the number of complaints after last year’s event, operational groups have been working more closely with the applicant in considering the proposed arrangements for this event,” her report states.
“The bodies represented amongst these groups include Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, NHS Tayside, SEPA, Scottish Water, the Scottish Ambulance Service, the Drugs and Alcohol Action Team Partnership, Transport Scotland, Traffic Scotland and Citylink.”
Ms McLaren reveals eight letters of objection have been submitted with regard to T in the Park, and concerns include road traffic management issues, control of pedestrians, damage to roads, distance from the pick-up and drop-off area to the event and the suitability of the site itself.
However, Ian Martin, traffic manager at T in the Park and a former road police inspector, described the changes to the transport set up as “significant.”
“We’ve not tweaked last year’s, we started with a blank piece of paper and after months of testing and liaising with our partner agencies, including Transport Scotland, Perth and Kinross Council and Police Scotland as well as local community councils, we have a solid plan in place,” he said.
“The separated routes for buses and cars will help keep traffic moving and the bus station will make travelling with Citylink and Big Green Coach the best ways to get to and from the festival. With an event of this scale, an element of patience will always be required when getting in and out of the site, but I can guarantee this will be of a normal level and managed by an experienced team.”
And Inspector David Hynd, head of road policing with Police Scotland, added: “The organisers have taken on board the issues from last year and, in conjunction with its partner agencies, produced a new on-site transport set up which should bring benefits to not only those people attending the event but also to those in the local community who are directly affected by it.”
