Hospital bus service should be brought back, says MSP
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alexander Stewart has said he supports calls for a dedicated bus link between Perth Royal Infirmary and Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital to be brought back.
Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf has already approached Stagecoach and the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland to see if the existing X7 service can be upgraded so patients who have trouble boarding and sitting on the current model of coaches can be better served.
It follows the issue being raised in Holyrood by Mr Stewart’s Conservative colleague Liz Smith MSP, but he is more of the opinion that a service similar to the former 333 bus service which used to run between both hospitals should be brought back for people with health and mobility issues.
Mr Stewart, who is also a councillor for Perth City South, said:“It is essential that people have easy and affordable forms of transportation.
“I was therefore very disappointed when I learned of the decision to replace the dedicated hospital shuttle with a new X7 service between Perth and Aberdeen.
“The new service has resulted in a number of problems: the size of the buses means that they are only able to collect people at an inaccessible location; there is little seating on the lower deck of the double-decker bus; and the bus has no dedicated access ramp.
“Not to mention the fact that journey times have increased.
“All these factors highlight the need for a dedicated bus service for patients and staff between PRI and Dundee just as they did when my colleague, Councillor Willie Wilson, began fighting.
“It took us eight years to secure the 333 bus service by getting the support of the Stagecoach Group, NHS Tayside and people from across the political spectrum.
“It is unfortunate that it seems like we are having to make many of the same arguments once again.
“I urge the Stagecoach Group to revisit their decision to scrap the dedicated hospital link so we can make sure that patients, in particular, can get to essential appointments in Dundee in the minimum time and at minimum expense.” Alexander Stewart MSP