Lochaber transport head blasts Stagecoach

THE head of a Lochaber transport group has underlined the importance of a reliable bus service to ‘the elderly, disabled and people on low incomes’ in the area, after Stagecoach announced last week it will close its Fort William depot, writes Neill Bo Finlayson.

Brian Murphy, chairman of the Lochaber Transport Forum, said he is not surprised by the company’s decision to pull out of Lochaber, with customers having faced years of ‘dirty’ and ‘unreliable’ buses. Now he has called for significant improvements to be made to this ‘vitally important’ service.

He said: ‘The travelling public in Lochaber have been badly let down by Stagecoach and their decision to pull out of the local area. Frankly, it didn’t come as much of a surprise because their services have been the target of many complaints to the Lochaber Transport Forum going back a number of years.

‘We have heard numerous protests about services not showing up, dirty and leaking buses, a few unhelpful drivers, and unreliable ageing vehicles that were long past their sell-by date.

‘Over the past year and a half, we had so many complaints that we had to set up special meetings just for bus users.’

Stagecoach, which runs eight vehicles and employs 16 staff in Fort William, will operate its final Lochaber services from its depot in Caol on June 30.

Mark Whitelocks, managing director for Stagecoach North Scotland, said the closure of the depot had been a very difficult decision and the company will continue to support staff as they work towards the depot closure.

Mr Murphy continued: ‘I hope the staff will be able to secure other employment locally as Lochaber can’t afford to lose these jobs.

‘I also hope that the discussions going on between council officers and other bus operators will bear fruit because these services are vitally important to the local population, especially the elderly, disabled and people on low incomes. In the long-term there needs to be a better way of financing loss-making routes than expecting the hard-pressed council to cough up a subsidy every time the operator says they can’t make a service pay.’

Lochaber MP Ian Blackford said he was saddened by Stagecoach’s decision but finding another provider ‘must now be a priority’.

He added: ‘I am more than happy to work with the local authority, Scottish Government and any other interested parties in ensuring the bus service does not lapse and suitable employment is secured for those who work in the area for Stagecoach.’