MSP hits out at cuts to bus service
Routes should be run for ‘ passengers, not profits’
Stagecoach bosses have been slammed for reducing services by a Labour MSP.
Colin Smyth says the cuts to vital routes highlight the need for bus services to be re- regulated and run for “passengers, not profits”.
The South of Scotland MSP plans to put forward a number of amendments to the Government’s Transport Bill when it comes before Parliament after the summer recess, including allowing local councils to set up municipal bus companies to run services instead of leaving it to private bus firms.
He proposes that when bus companies change timetables, they must carry out a consultation with the local community.
Mr Smyth recently wrote to Sam Greer, the interim managing director at Stagecoach West Scotland after the company made cuts to the 246 service between Dumfries and Cumnock.
The changes to the service in early July saw the complete removal of the 6.30pm northbound, with the 10.35pm service axed on a Friday and Saturday.
The 8.30pm service will now terminate in Sanquhar.
On the Southbound route the 6.11pm service will be removed completely with the 11.29 service from Kirkconnel removed on a Friday and Saturday night.
The 7.45pm service from Sanquhar will also be removed.
The MSP was angry not only at the cuts but in the failure of the bus company to consult passengers or the local community ahead of changes.
He said: “Cuts to bus services like the 246 have a major impact on the communities that they are supposed to serve.
“When there are cuts to commercial services there is no consultation with local communities in advance and it is more likely to be our most vulnerable residents that are left worse off as a result.
“This is a systemic problem in our bus network and the only way to fix it is to see a change in the law.” However, a Stagecoach West Scotland spokesman insisted that the company doesn’t have enough passengers using the service in the evenings.
He said:“It is important that our network reflects the travel habits of our customers while also ensuring we have a stable business for the future.
“Like local authorities and the Government, we are operating in a challenging economic environment and sometimes have to take difficult decisions.
“Unfortunately there were simply too few passengers using the 246 in the evenings for us to be able to continue operating these journeys.
“The journeys we have removed had less than 10 people on average travelling on them.
“The reality is that the challenges facing bus operators have been caused by a series of external factors including car congestion in our towns and cities, changing work patterns and shopping habits and the low cost of motoring.
“Changing the regulatory structure of the bus industry will have no impact on these issues – what we need from our politicians is practical change and partnership working to help deliver better bus services for local people.
“We have invited Mr Smyth to meet with us and discuss directly the issues he has raised and we continue to await his response.”