War of words over bus route changes

A row has erupted between councillors over changes to rural bus routes.

SNP councillor Ian Muirhead this week praised efforts by First Bus over changes to services, which he said will help mitigate cuts made last year.

However, Labour’s Danny Gibson has questioned the claim and said that bus routes have been hit by government cuts.

Last summer, the bus company, which operates across the Stirling area, announced a reduction in a number of services as well as cancellations of certain routes.

Councillor Muirhead has chaired public meetings and held talks with bus operators to seek a resolution to the situation - which saw a number of rural communities losing much of their access to vital public transport. He said First Bus have agreed upgrade their existing routes to include many of the communities affected by March 6.

He said:“These changes will alleviate some of the concerns felt by many in the rural communities I represent, especially school pupils and their parents, and I am glad that First Bus have agreed to work constructively on this.

“Whilst this is to be welcomed, there is still a lot of work to do in terms of connecting our rural communities in a sustainable way. Support for public transport has clearly not been a priority of the Tory/Labour coalition that currently run Stirling Council and this simply cannot continue to be the case.”

Stirling Council has said that some of the journeys being introduced or extended will serve areas such as Gartmore, Aberfoyle, Croftamie and Drymen. However, the changes will only result in a few extra journeys a day and that alterations were made by First after ongoing discussions with officers.

Labour environment spokesman Councillor Gibson said:“I know that Councillor Muirhead famously said in the council chamber that he was‘not a nationalist’but he clearly has his nationalist blinkers on when it comes to the reality of the SNP’s total failure to re-regulate buses in Scotland and the consequences to the travelling public of this failure.

“Let’s not forget that whilst Councillor Muirhead is bemoaning the consequences of budget cuts that he is also completely and deliberately missing the cause, which is his own supposed government cutting millions of pounds every year from the Stirling Council budget.”