Controversial bus changes to be discussed

Carse of gowrie: Angry passengers set to make their views known at meeting

Frustrated bus passengers in the Carse of Gowrie will have the opportunity to discuss their grievances at a public meeting tonight.

Residents who use the Stagecoach service between Perth and the Carse have hit out at “gaps” in a timetable for people going to work and also returning home at tea-time.

The matter first came to light in early June when Stagecoach East Scotland announced changes to bus services along the Carse, including Invergowrie and Kingoodie.

Bus passengers who use these routes have vented their anger, along with local councillor Douglas Pover, who has raised the issue with Stagecoach.

Catherine Smith, of St Madoes, slammed a proposed change to the timetable for the service 16 bus, which shows there will be no bus between 7.12am and 8.27am through the week, and also no bus returning from Perth between 4.40pm and 5.40pm.

She said: “This gap is far too large for workers who start in Perth at 8am and will mean that some people have to stand out in the street for nearly three quarters of an hour because they are not keyholders.

“Similarly, the gap in the return service at tea-time from Perth is too great, as many people finishing at 5pm rely on the current 5.10pm service.

“We also doubt there will be room on the 5.40pm bus for all the passengers, particularly in the summer when the population is swelled by holidaymakers and seasonal workers.”

She added: “The result of these changes will be serious for the passengers and for Perth’s economy. Some passengers’ jobs are at risk if they can’t change their hours to suit the timetable.

“Workers at the Glendoick Garden Centre are still waiting to hear whether they can still get a bus to work.

“More people will be forced into using their cars, with attendant increase in traffic on the A90 and Dundee road and reduction in air quality in Perth town centre.”

Andrew Jarvis, managing director of Stagecoach East Scotland, said: “Early morning journeys into Perth have been designed to cater for hospital shift patterns commencing at 7.30am, and a later arrival time caters for most people starting work at 8.30am or 9am.

“Evening peak journeys have been designed to cater for standard finish times, and although we are limited in resources for additional journeys, we will of course keep the timetable under review to ensure the journeys meet the needs of as many customers as possible.

“Along with the timetable changes on August 15, we will be revising the vehicles allocated to the route, to larger single-deck and double-deck vehicles which are serviced every 21 days and continuously maintained by our engineering teams.”

The public meeting, to which Stagecoach has been invited, will be held in Invergowrie Parish Church from 6 to 7pm.

Stagecoach East Scotland managing director Andrew Jarvis.