Crunch talks to revive ‘crucial’ coach service in rural Perthshire

Scottish Citylink bosses will come under increased pressure to reinstate a rural Perthshire coach service.

The company has been criticised for cutting back runs between Birnam and Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness from 10 to just three a day.

Nearly 800 people have signed a petition urging the company into a U-turn, which will be delivered to representatives of the firm at a meeting tomorrow night.

A spokeswoman for the Save Our Birnam Buses campaign said: “The slogan on the side of their buses says connecting Scotland.

“Sadly, for the residents of Birnam and Dunkeld, this is sadly no longer the case.”

She added: “Although in an ideal world we would like all the buses reinstated, we are being realistic.

“In the first instance, we are asking Stagecoach/Citylink to consider reinstating the morning bus, which arrives in Edinburgh at 1.03pm, to stop in Birnam on the way south and the 7.10pm from Edinburgh to stop in Birnam on its way north. This will enable visitors to get to Birnam in late afternoon and local people to have a day trip to Edinburgh.”

The service was reduced November.

Among those who used it regularly was 79-year-old Birnam resident Christine Robertson who travelled to Edinburgh every week to visit her sister who has had heart surgery and who now lives in a nursing home.

Ms Robertson said it now takes her four buses to reach her sister – a journey that takes more than four hours.

Campaigners are also calling for the Scottish Government to help Citylink find a way to bring back the service.

The company said that the intercity service was only being used by about two people a day, making it impossible to maintain.

A spokeswoman said other public transport services were available that would allow people in Birnam and Dunkeld to link into the Citylink network.

Campaigners say they are prepared to take their case to the Scottish Parliament if needed. last