Concerns over rural transport
On-demand bus links get teething troubles
New arrangements are currently being put in place for on- demand rural bus services.
Changes to how Demand Responsive Transport ( DRT) is managed to provide an alternative means of transport in areas without adequate local bus provision have been looked at as part of Stirling Council’s Priority Based Budgeting process.
At last week’s meeting of the Environment and Housing Committee councillors were told about what progress in changing the system has been made so far.
DRT services are run on a contract basis by different operators in different parts of rural Stirling.
But the booking system will now be centralised with a dedicated phone line to be staffed from 9am3pm on weekdays and bookings taken no later than the working day before the day of travel.
Currently running separately, the DRT schemes serving Strathard and the Trossachs will be amalgamated to simplify the service for crossborder journeys there.
And changes to the DRT service for Callander will see journeys that take place wholly within the area’s 30mph zone no longer permitted, although there will be an exception for journeys to and from the town’s medical centre.
Committee Convenor, Councillor Danny Gibson, said: “DRT is an important service for rural areas, filling in where commercial bus operators cannot provide a service, but at the cost of a bus fare rather than a taxi rate.
“The changes which will now be implemented follow widespread discussion with service users, providers and local communities and will protect services for the future by ensuring that they run more efficiently and costeffectively.
“I’m particularly pleased about the changes which have been made to the Callander service, because taxi and bus alternatives exist and to have made an exception for medical centre journeys ensures that we are still there for our most vulnerable residents.”
The planned changes are due to take effect from October 1 and Councillor Gibson added: “We will also continue the process of discussion with DRT users and operators as well as local communities going forward, to make sure we pick up on any other issues of concern which may arise.”
At the meeting, councillors raised concerns about the call centre service ending at 3pm. Councillor Alycia Hayes said: “I’m just concerned about the booking window from 9am until 3pm.
“People might be at work at that time and not have a chance to book a journey for the next day.”
Councillor Gibson responded: “We have to have a window there so people are clear what the expectations are and give the call centre time to make arrangements.”
A Stirling Council official said that the time of 3pm had been settled at as it would allow for advanced bookings to be arranged more easily.
The council official concluded that the system could be further adjusted once the service was up and running.