Meeting on bus reform

RADICAL new plans to reform bus services across the region will be put to the people at a special public meeting in Kilwinning next week.

And the five candidates for North Ayrshire Council’s Kilwinning by-election, scheduled for Thursday, May 9, are being invited to take part.

Plans for a reform of bus services in the area were set in motion after the region’s transport authority, the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), decided on March 15 to take the bus network back into public control for the first time since the 1980s.

SPT is now asking the public whether they support the plans, in a consultation which runs until May 13.

A public meeting is being held in Kilwinning Bowling Club on Wednesday, May 1, at 7.30pm so that people can find out more about the plans and take part.

The event is being organised by the Better Buses for Strathclyde coalition and the Irvine and North Ayrshire Trades Union Council.

Ellie Harrison, spokesperson for the Better Buses for Strathclyde coalition, who will speak at the meeting, said: “We’re delighted the SPT board agrees on the need to bring buses back under public control.

“Leaving the network to private bus operators for the past 35 years has been disastrous for local communities.

“We have been campaigning for years for SPT to use the powers it has to re-regulate the bus network.

“We know there is strong public support for this but it needs to be made vocal in this consultation.”

North Ayrshire is represented on the SPT board by Kilwinning Labour councillor Donald Reid.

Arthur West, acting secretary of Irvine and

North Ayrshire Trades Union Council said: “Transport links in North Ayrshire are a source of concern to many local people. In some areas services are very limited.

“The difficulties in relation to bus services faced by a number of communities are caused by a lack of regulation and investment.

“We need bus services which are less expensive and better connected. We also need buses running at times when people need them.”

“This is why the Trades Union Council is very happy to support this meeting, and we hope the public will turn out in good numbers.”