Bus company says sorry to passengers

STAGECOACH has apologised after the firm failed to inform customers that a bus route had been diverted — leaving would-be passengers waiting in “freezing temperatures”.

The incident took place last week, when Scotland was hit by heavy snowfall — causing widespread disruption in Tayside, with all schools closed and many buses cancelled.

The weather led Stagecoach to divert its 202 service — missing stops on Kenmore Terrace and Glenprosen Terrace — with bosses saying abandoned cars had caused issues for their buses.

However, residents in the Law area hit out, saying they weren’t informed of the change.

Andy Walker, who lives on Kenmore Terrace, said he had waited an hour, alongside two elderly women, for the service to appear, but it never did.

He said: “It’s shocking — the temperature was freezing.

“Most of the people in this area are elderly and they rely on the bus to get out to the shops.”

Andy said he had been unable to pick up shopping from nearby supermarkets because of the diversion and feared that residents in the area were going to be left without a service. A spokeswoman for Stagecoach East Scotland said the firm was “concerned” that passengers were left waiting on buses which had been diverted.

She said: “Due to recent weather conditions and the abandoning of cars, a number roads in the Lawside area were particularly difficult for our drivers to travel along, resulting in damage to our vehicles.

“In response to this, route 202 was diverted temporarily, subsequently missing the stops in Kenmore Terrace and Glenprosen Terrace.

“We apologise that this diversion was not communicated to customers in a more adequate manner and we were concerned to hear that passengers were left waiting on their bus.”

The spokeswoman said that the firm was working alongside partners in a bid to prevent the situation occurring in the future.

“We have now reinstated the original route and are liaising with the council to further assess the situation,” she added.