Blether Bus left empty as residents slam service

PASSENGERS have been deserting a replacement bus service in their droves – with complaints it is not a patch on the original route.

The Blether Bus has been criticised by residents who believe it should never have replaced the popular 204 route which took passengers into the city centre and to Ninewells Hospital.

Dundee City Council, which funded the Stagecoach-run service, voted to axe the route last year, despite fierce opposition from residents.

Councillor Fraser Macpherson requested figures from the local authority on the usage of the new service – and they show a drastic fall in numbers.

The former 204 bus had about 90-100 passengers a day, with the new minibus service which covers much of the old 204 route – other than the Magdalen Green area which is now served by Xplore Dundee

Service 4 – currently averaging just five or six passengers daily.

The service is for pensioners and free to use when they sign up for membership and carry their bus passes.

When the Tele waited at one of the stops on Monday morning at Tesco Extra on South Road, there were no passengers aboard or waiting to get the bus at the busy supermarket.

We spoke to several people at Tesco, where the bus leaves from, but only a taxi driver and member of staff at the supermarket had heard of the service.

One woman who does use the service, Val Clark, 67, from Newland Gardens, said: “I have been on the Blether Bus many times, but it is not suitable.

“It is not a proper bus and that is why people are not utilising it. It only runs from Monday to Friday and has to stop at 2.30pm because it is used to collect children at Kingspark School as it has the capacity to take wheelchairs.

“We heard of someone with a pram who was not allowed on as it is for older people. It’s diabolical.

“The 204 was a marvellous service and took people into the city where they wanted to go and also to the hospital. Now some people are having to get three buses to get to an appointment at Ninewells.”

Dorothy McHugh, secretary of Dundee Pensioners’ Forum, said: “We had criticism of the Blether Bus at a Pensioners Forum meeting because people were not happy when the buses were removed back in August last year.

“We tried to complain but nothing changed unfortunately.”

Mr Macpherson has spoken to transport officials at the council in a bid to have the route extended and even to brand the coach – which is a plain white mini bus – with a Blether Bus logo. He said: “It has to be advertised.”

A council spokesman said: “It will take time for the service to bed in.”

Users of bus 204 protested when plans to scrap it were revealed.