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Welcome to the latest selection of The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday's leading transport coverage - in part thanks to your tip-offs and suggestions, so please keep them coming - contact details below.

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A bus on the number 15 route between Milngavie and Glasgow

Transport often lends itself to bizarre stories, and the latest one from the bus world was jaw dropping.

As I reported on Thursday, it involved some residents of an up-market suburb on the edge of Glasgow who appear to have taken exception to a bus route being extended to their street, with claims they have taken direct action in an attempt to block it.

Police are trying to persuade more ScotRail staff to wear video cameras

In other unexpectedly weird news, the head of British Transport Police in Scotland revealed an extraordinary reason why some ScotRail staff were not using body-worn video cameras, as I revealed on Monday.

The force has been trying to get more workers to use the devices, which it said reduced the frequency and severity of assaults on staff, which have been on the increase.

The Jacobite train in Glen Falloch en route to Fort William on Saturday | Bob Avery

Moving on to good news, and I revealed on Friday afternoon that the Jacobite steam train was about to finally start services after a two-month delay as its operator's long-running safety dispute with the rail regulator rumbled on.

This was confirmed when they started on Monday, but it isn't the end of the tale because the issue at the centre of the dispute has still to be resolved. I'll keep you posted.

Edinburgh's new cycle hire scheme was launched in September

In other positive news, I revealed on Monday which areas of Edinburgh may be next for the booming city council Voi electric bike hire scheme - and how much more successful it has been already than its ill-fated predecessor.

I probably sound like an evangelist for the initiative - which is also proving very successful in Glasgow where I'm based - but if you've never tried an e-bike, I think you'll find them a revelation. 

The over-60s like me also get a vast discount that makes them virtually free to use. My regular bike isn't happy.

A single-carriageway section of the A9 near Dunkeld 

Elsewhere on the roads, I was reminded again of the sheer scale of the A9 dualling programme on Thursday when plans for the last parts of the 80-mile scheme were announced, which will cost more than the Queensferry Crossing.

Completion of what is perhaps the largest project in Scottish transport history has already been pushed back a decade, with only 10 miles upgraded so far.

As I have revealed, it will no longer be partially privately funded, so there is plenty of mileage in this story yet, as this Scotsman editorial reflected.

Caroline Livesey during her record-breaking cycle this week

Moving further north, two new stories about the North Coast 500.

First, the inspiring record-breaking feat by East Lothian cyclist Caroline Livesey, who sliced an amazing chunk off the best women's time for completing the 516-mile route - and in some pretty challenging weather and road conditions, despite a lack of wind.

It just happens that her average speed - 16.7mph - is the fastest that the Voi e-bikes will let me pedal on the flat.

The only difference is that her ride, with no power assistance, was 172 times longer than my commute to the office and involved 10,000m of climb - the equivalent of ten Munro mountains.

A Scotsman editorial applauded her achievement as an "absolutely extraordinary feat of human endurance".

The Kylesku Bridge north of Lochinver is part of the North Coast 500 route

The other NC500 story was a refreshingly warts-and-all assessment of its impact, detailing not just the economic benefits that the marketing of the route had brought over its first decade but also some significant downsides, as I reported on Tuesday.

It follows the new executive chair of the company behind it telling me in April she would be "leaning in to honesty". 

We'll be watching closely how things develop, so do let me know of your experiences.

The Kingston Bridge over the Clyde in Glasgow on the M8 motorway

And so on to my stories this week about some transport challenges.

Potholes are likely to be near the top of the list of travel gripes for many of you.

I had detailed the grim situation with Scotland's council-maintained roads - that's most of them - in March, and in Scotland on Sunday focused on motorways and other trunk roads, which are the responsibility of Transport Scotland.

They have traditionally been in better condition, but I reported on the latest official survey which showed significant dissatisfaction among drivers. 

An accompanying editorial described potholes as "a key test of the state of the nation" and warned: "a country that can’t afford to maintain its roads will see its economy contract further".

Easyjet was among airlines affected by the fuel supply problem

Turning to air travel, and fears of fuel shortages disrupting flights became a reality on Sunday, as I reported.

However, the cause appeared not to be directly related to the Middle East crisis but a problem nearer to home, although a union said the distance that fuel is being transported to Scotland's busiest airports had been an additional factor.

Hebrides was one of two CalMac ferries to suffer problems this week

Finally, you didn't think I'd forget ferries, did you?

It was another difficult week for CalMac passengers, this time in the Western Isles, where several routes were hit by problems with two of its older vessels, despite both recently returning from repairs.

The disruption prompted a stark warning - and call for urgent support - from an organisation representing a key sector in the islands' economy, as I reported on Wednesday.

News from Elsewhere... Perhaps reflecting my interest in such quirky subjects, my attention was drawn to research by data analyst Alasdair Rae in his quest for the longest straight line between public roads, which he has identified in the Highlands at nearly 50 miles long, but he "definitely wouldn't recommend trying to walk it".

I always welcome any tip-offs or suggestions for stories, in confidence if preferred.

Please email adalton@scotsman.com or message me on X at @AlastairDalton or on Bluesky at @alastairdalton.bsky.social

thanks

Alastair