Council steps in as village bus is axed

West Lothian Council is set to establish a demand-responsive taxibus service to serve the Westfield area.

The service will partly replace the commercial 29 bus service, which was withdrawn from Westfield by the bus operator on Monday, leaving the village unserved by public transport.

The council has a passenger transport strategy in place which aims to have 90 per cent of communities in West Lothian served by at least an hourly bus service.

It says the demand-responsive taxibus will allow passengers to travel to and from Armadale, where they can board other services for onward travel.

The service will operate differently to a traditional bus service as passengers will be required to book their journey before travelling.

Passengers can book their journey by contacting West Lothian Private Hire on 01506 434343 at least one hour in advance of travelling.

Executive councillor for development and transport Cathy Muldoon said: “Following the decision by the commercial operator to remove the 29 service, West Lothian Council has had to step in to ensure that the residents of Westfield are not cut off from the rest of the county.

“Bus services often change. However, on this occasion there would be no alternative in the Westfield area.

“The establishment of the demand-responsive taxibus service will mean that the residents of Westfield will continue to have the option of travelling by public transport.”

More information on the service is available on the West Lothian Council website.

We had to ensure the residents of Westfield are not cut off