Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Your views
Dear Editor, I write regarding the article about the no 2 bus service which First withdrew in August and how it has left many passengers at a disadvantage [Advertiser, October 2].
I recently had to attend an appointment at Monklands Hospital and had to use two buses to get me to my appointment on time; I also don’t have a travel pass.
Not everyone can afford to ferry themselves by taxi if they have to attend hospital appointments, but First Group states: “Passenger numbers have been declining for many years since the opening of the Whifflet rail network.”
If the number 2 had declining passenger numbers, how did commuters get to work each morning, travelling to Eurocentral or Glasgow? At weekends when football fans travelled to Glasgow, the no 2 was very busy.
They have failed in their assumption of a great rail network – in recent years since Abellio was awarded the rail service it lacks reliablity (when First ran the passenger service to Kirkwood it was reliable).
If they assume that Scotland has an excellent rail service, they are mistaken.
As someone who has experienced travelling on the German rail network a few times it would put Scotrail to shame trains run 24 hours a day and incidentally, local bus services there are far superior and there are affordable fares too.
In recent weeks, First’s 201 service has had a fares hike too.
The no 13 bus operated by United Coaches to fill part of a service to Bargeddie doesn’t help others who work outside of there to commute; and not all rail routes will take people to every destination.
United Coaches now operate another service to Airdrie, but it doesn’t run on a regular basis – its staggered timetable begins early to suit commuters who travel to Airdrie in the mornings, and later on in the day to take workers back.
Lack of investment in public transport has been the norm for many years but it is the public who are at the disadvantage of not having a transport system we can rely on – it’s all about companies who have always put profits first before the needs of passengers.
Mrs SH Brown, Old Monkland Dementiasearchapp Dear Editor,
On behalf of Alzheimer Scotland, I wish to express our sincere thanks to everyone who has downloaded our missing person app, Purple Alert.
This includes our amazing volunteers and the families and carers who we support.
It’s thanks to those individuals that we were able to mark the app’s second birthday on world Alzheimer’s day with the news that we had reached 10,000 downloads.
Purple Alert is the first app of its kind in the UK which helps find people with dementia when they are lost.
Developed with Police Scotland and partners from across the public sector, the free app is designed to support the families and carers of people living with dementia during an immediate missing person search.
The app supports a Police Scotland search by sharing key information about the missing person at the point of crisis and alerts all users of an active local search.
With more than 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland today and the number on the rise, we’re asking if Advertiser readers will download the app – giving us more eyes and ears on the ground during a missing person search, to help support people with dementia who may become missing for many different reasons.
The app is helping us to further unify communities towards creating a dementia-friendly Scotland where people living with dementia feel valued, recognised and supported.
Purple Alert is free to download for iOS and Android smartphones, and can be downloaded from purplealert. org.uk.
Anyone with questions about dementia or our local support and services can call Alzheimer Scotland’s 24-hour free dementia Helpline on 0808 808 3000.
Together we aim to make sure nobody faces dementia alone.
Joyce Gray, Alzheimer Scotland Volunteering Dear Editor,
The number of over-50s experiencing loneliness is set to reach two million by 2025, an increase of 49 per cent over just 10 years.
I’d like to tell Advertiser readers how volunteering can be a great way to combat isolation whilst making a huge difference to worthy causes, just like our own, all across the UK.
I work for Revitalise, a national creating holidays for disabled people and carers. We run the largest residential volunteering programme of any UK charity, welcoming thousands of volunteers of all ages each year.
They’re our magic ingredient because they volunteer something priceless – their experience. They help to create the great holiday spirit and welcoming atmosphere that our guests love, and are able to guide and support some of our younger volunteers.
No matter what their motivation for spending time with us, there’s always the opportunity to meet some great people and make a difference to the lives of disabled people and carers.
Visit www.revitalise.org.uk or call our volunteer team on 0303 303 0163 for details.
Abby Kessock-Philip, Revitalise