‘Haud the bus’ on £1.5m spend
Potential spending of almost £1.5 million on new bus shelters across Stirling could be a waste of time and money because of axed bus services says a rural councillor.
SNP member Ian Muirhead has raised questions over Stirling Council’s planned expenditure on 423 new or replacement bus shelters set out in its recentlyapproved Transport Strategy document.
He says while “in an ideal world this would be great, what’s the point if there are no buses to stop at them”.
Councillor Muirhead says the Tory/Labour administration of the council had pulled support funding to bus services, resulting in a reduction in the number of buses set to stop at them.
At a recent meeting of the full council, Councillor Muirhead claimed the proposed bus shelters were set to cost the Stirling taxpayer £1,480,500 at a time when the ruling administration had cut subsidies to bus routes by over a third since the SNP was last in control of the local authority.
Following the cancellation and reduction of a number of services affecting the Forth and Endrick ward, he chaired a meeting in Balfron High to discuss the concerns of parents and bus service users.
He said in a meeting with Stirling MP Steven Paterson and MSP Bruce Crawford, First Bus representatives agreed that a reduction in the subsidy provided by Stirling Council had impacted on the viability of a number of bus services – many of which were facing the axe.
Councillor Muirhead added: “I was somewhat baffled by the proposal to spend £1.5 million on new bus shelters at a time when the council’s Tory/Labour Administration has effectively cut the number of services operating throughout Stirling.
“Whilst I’m sure bus users will welcome upgraded shelters, I’m sure people would like to see more of a commitment to protecting the actual services so many of my constituents rely on. I will be meeting with council officers in the coming days to discuss what solutions can be explored on this matter and I hope the administration listens closely to the many frustrated people who are struggling to get to work or access services elsewhere.”
Labour councillor Danny Gibson accused Councillor Muirhead of contributing to the “silly season”, and added: “The plan covers an entire decade with indicative costs of over £160 million to fully implement every proposal, but the key point is that agreeing the strategy is not the same as deciding a budget so we have not allocated a penny to any of these suggestions - a fact I suspect the SNP are fully aware of, even if they are hoping the public are not.”
Councillor Gibson, the council’s environment convener, added: “The City Area Transport Plan contains an aspirational programme which totals approximately £135 million over the next 10 years, and the Towns Villages and Rural Transport Plan of £28 million over the same period. These are the total costs of the improvement programmes which are aspired to for the area.
“The committee report asked that council take the programmes into account when budget setting. The council has not made any financial commitment to these programmes.
“Councillor Muirhead raised the issue at council and was told there should be an aspiration to improve passenger waiting facilities, but (if monies were allocated for such) we would obviously not look to do this where there are no bus services.”