News that a bus service will ferry golf fans from the Crieff and Auchterarder areas to next year’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles has been hailed as a “victory for commonsense”.
Concern had been expressed by some accommodation providers that guests would have to travel to park-and-ride facilities at Perth or Stirling to get to the event making staying locally an unattractive proposition.
Nigel Franklin, of Galvelbeg House Bed and Breakfast on Crieff’s Perth Road, feared that his guests would be faced with a 32-mile journey from Crieff to Gleneagles via the park and ride in Perth.
Some potential guests told him it would be easier for them to stay in Perth or Stirling unless a special service was laid on.
Following extensive consultation with the community, police and local authorities about the transport arrangements for the tournament, a solution has now been announced.
Antonia Beggs, Ryder Cup operations director, said: “It has always been planned that transport arrangements would be in place for ticket holders from the Crieff and Auchterarder areas.
“However, we have brought the details of our plans forward to accommodate the ticket ballot announcement in August and to address concerns that visitors to the area around Crieff and Auchterarder would have to travel to park-and-ride facilities in Perth or Stirling.
“We are keen to find practical solutions wherever possible, whilst also being extremely mindful of the need to ensure that health and safety and secure access to the site are maintained at all times.
“The solution which we are proposing would allow those Ryder Cup ticket-holding visitors paying for overnight accommodation in the Crieff and Auchterarder areas to have access to a shuttle bus service running from both towns. Trains will also be stopping at Dunblane, allowing spectators to access Gleneagles more easily from the south.
“The new arrangements will give accommodation providers time to market their offerings ahead of the announcement of the outcome of the ballot for Ryder Cup tickets and prevent local residents from being unfairly inconvenienced.”
Ticket-holders will have to demonstrate that they are either local residents or that they have stayed overnight with a local accommodation provider, or they will not be allowed to use the service.
The details of the proposals will be outlined in a series of local community engagement forums for elected members and community representatives in September. Full details of these forums will be communicated to these groups in the near future.
The transport plan is a joint initiative and the number and frequency of buses will be determined by the number of ticket holders booking local accommodation. Therefore, businesses are being asked to confirm the number of bookings made for people going to the Ryder Cup with Perth and Kinross Council’s Customer Service Centre by email on enquiries@pkc.gov.uk, or by telephone on 01738 475000.
Mr Franklin hailed the decision, saying: “I am absolutely delighted commonsense has prevailed. Luckily, we have not lost any business we had a guest who was looking at cancelling but stuck with us.”
He added that they were completely booked up, though guests wouldn’t know if they were successful in getting tickets until the ballot next month.