THE mounting traffic crisis in Luss is putting the lives of residents at risk.

That's the view of the vice-chairman and treasurer of the Loch Lomond Rescue Boat, which is based in the village.

James MacCrae says the streets of Luss are so choked with traffic - particularly during summer weekends - that emergency services' attempts to reach the rescue boat's base are being severely delayed.

Mr MacCrae was speaking at the presentation of a petition this week to Argyll and Bute Council against parking proposals which have attracted fierce opposition from community groups.

The petition – containing the names of almost two hundred people who live or work in the village – was handed over at the authority's Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre on Tuesday.

Mr MacCrae said: “Our busiest times tend to coincide with Luss village being at its busiest with visitors, and their vehicles.

“Our crew quite frequently are held up and lose many precious minutes due to the congestion, and in a really serious incident, these minutes could make a life or death difference.

“In some call-outs, it is also necessary for emergency vehicles – ambulance, fire service and police – to get to the boat shed, and they too have on occasion been delayed badly in crawling their way through the village – sometimes being unable actually to reach the boat shed at all.

“Were visitor vehicles to be restricted to the main official car-park, and new parking areas just outside the edge of the village, leaving only villager vehicles plus necessary service vehicles moving or parked in the roads of the village, then these frustrating and dangerous delays would be eliminated.

“We cannot see that the present council proposals will do anything to alleviate this problem, and we urge the council to listen to local concerns and re-think their plan to produce a practical solution.”

The traffic crisis in the village means that when the rescue boat is required to take fire service personnel to islands on Loch Lomond, they have to first travel from the Luss boat shed to Balloch to pick up the fire crew there – wasting potentially valuable minutes in the course of a call-out.

The petition calls on the council to withdraw its “ill-considered” proposal to introduce a parking permit scheme, to take immediate steps to exclude tourist traffic from the village entirely, and to ensure the provision of enough extra parking outside the village to cope with the demands imposed by visitor traffic.

It also asks the authority to reconsider the problems facing the village, and to “properly consult” with the community over the traffic headache.

Valerie Jones, who lives in Luss parish and whose son attends the village's primary school, said: “The situation in Luss is frustrating and dangerous.

“I’m scared to walk around the village with my son because of the volume of traffic.

“The school children regularly pass through the village to access the Glebe (for sports), the village hall and the church, and at the moment it just isn’t safe.”

The Reverend Ian Miller, interim minister at Luss Parish Church, said: “The way vehicles are left haphazardly on Pier Road with neither thought of safety or concern for those who live there astonishes me.

“I think it’s wonderful that people come to Luss...long may it continue, but now is the time for Argyll and Bute Council to act and to be fair to those who live in Luss.”

James Fraser, chairman of the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, said: “'It is time for Argyll and Bute Council to re-think their traffic management proposals for Luss as it clear from recent representation that local residents and local businesses are united in their strong opposition to what are currently serious flawed proposals that could make the situation worse.''

Argyll and Bute Council has proactively developed parking and traffic management proposals for Luss which will put residents first, while at the same time supporting local businesses. 

These proposals have been developed following an extensive informal public consultation and are now going through the formal statutory process which is required to produce a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) – the means through which we can enforce parking regulations.

Nothing has been finalised at this stage. The final plans will be shaped by the feedback to the consultation and determined by the legal processes the council has to follow.

Our proposals protect parking for residents in the centre of the village by way of a permit scheme. The spaces not occupied by permit-holding residents will be time limited, giving visitors the opportunity to park in the village for a short-term. This creates good turnover of spaces, which is what we want.

There is additional parking in the off-street car park which provides ample spaces for visitors.

We are also looking to introduce a 20mph zone on the old A82 through the village to ensure effective traffic management and increase road safety.

We cannot restrict access over the public road to residents only. The public are free to exercise their right of access unobstructed unless the road is stopped up or delisted.