Villagers mourn loss of hospital bus route

“The only other option is to take an Edinburgh bus and cross the road to await another bus to Livingston.

“Local councillors have given the solution is to use Dial-a-Bus. This is incredibly unfair on those with bus passes who are now expected to pay for this service.

“It seems ludicrous that the buses turn off just before Dechmont village. It is particularly concerning that this has occurred as winter, dark nights and poorer weather approach.

“What are our local councillors doing for our community?”

West Lothian Council said around 80 per cent of the local bus network is commercial, with the council stepping in to fund the remaining 20 per cent to support our communities.

A spokesman said: “In 2016 no commercial buses served Dechmont directly so we committed to three years of time-limited funding to ensure the village would have a service.

“This funding has now finished, and the village is also now served by a commercial service.

“The decision was made earlier this year to change the service, removing Wester Inch in Bathgate, Ladywell West in Livingston and Dechmont, which all are served by commercial buses.

“It will continue to be the only bus service in the villages of Torphichen and Philpstoun, with Bridgend also added to the route after commercial changes meant it was left without a bus service recently.

“Unfortunately our funds are limited and we have to prioritise helping communities in the greatest need, ensuring the majority of the population have access to at least one bus service, which can then be used to connect to other routes.”

Give a dog a home

There is desperation at the loss of all bus services coming through Dechmont to Linlithgow and more seriously Livingston