Commuters take a stand on cutback plan
Computers to replace travel staff
A proposal to cut the opening hours of East Kilbride Travel Centre would see the service open for just one day a week.
Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) say the plan comes following a decline in paper-ticket sales across the country with people opting for smart phones and self-serve ticket machines.
The controversial move has angered users who rely on the service from Monday to Saturday.
Kim Gordon, 48, of The Murray, has to take the bus four times a day to get to her work at Hairmyres Hospital. She said: “This is absolutely awful. I can only get my bus pass on a Saturday and the app doesn’t do local monthly so the queues will be horrendous – I don’t have time for that. This will be a real hassle for me.”
John Smith, 79, of East Mains, agreed saying: “This will be an inconvenience to people like pensioners who won’t be on the internet. This is a vital facility.”
James Codona, 53, was in town for a day’s work and says the cutback would be a huge blow for visitors to the town, adding: “This facility is very helpful for visitors like myself who would otherwise be left wandering around not knowing where to get their bus.”
But Anne Thomson, 53, of Newlandsmuir backed the proposal. She said: “The centre is only useful for information. I don’t think it needs to be open all week. It’s not busy enough.”
This will be an inconvenience to pensioners who won’t be on the internet... John Smith