Kinlochleven future bus timetable still uncertain

Disagreements over changes to the Kinlochleven to Fort William bus service resurfaced last week as future timetable arrangements remain uncertain, writes Neill Bo Finlayson.

At a meeting of Lochaber Transport Forum’s Bus Users’ Group last Friday, there was uncertainty over changes to the Kinlochleven timetable. It was recently changed so that the last bus leaving from Fort William was reinstated and the second last bus changed to the earlier time of 8pm.

Fort William and Ardnamurchan councillor Niall MacLean said: ‘There’s a lot of talk of Highland Council not having the money. We can’t afford not to have a bus service.’

Mr MacLean continued: ‘People have left and lost their jobs because of the timetable changes. Residents found out five days before the change. They were penalised without consultation.’

Shiel Buses’ managing director David MacGillivray responded by saying that job losses and the poor consultation were not the fault of his company.

Mr MacGillivray said: ‘We can’t just run buses all the time and we can’t run a service just for a few people. We are between a rock and a hard place here.’

He continued: ‘We are happy to do 8.30pm or 8.40pm but for anything later there are just not numbers to back up running a service then.’

Forum member Arthur Cowie added: ‘We need to encourage the public to use the service so David can run a viable service.’

Since the meeting, Councillor MacLean has started an online survey to ask Kinlochleven residents if they would like to see the last bus leave Fort William at 8.35pm or 9pm, which is available through his Facebook page.

He is asking officials and Shiel Buses if the last bus can be extended to 9pm when the timetable change happens at the end of November.