Bus loss could leave people feeling ‘cut off’

Fears after service to end its run

Concerns have grown over the future of a rural bus service.

Balquhidder-based, family run bus company Kingshouse Travel has given Stirling Council four months’ notice of its intention to stop operating the C60 service between Killin and Callander on December 30 due to a shortage of drivers.

The route also stops at Lochearnhead and Strathyre.

Owner and director of Kingshouse Travel, Graeme Courtney said they had been running the service for around the last 18 years.

“This is a straight forward commercial decision,” he added.

Now there are concerns over the future of the route and there are fears that residents in Killin commuting to Callander and further afield could effectively be “cut off ”.

The community in Killin are set to meet with Stirling Council chiefs next week to discuss provisions for the route.

Stirling Council’s convener of the Environment and Housing Committee, Councillor Jim Thomson, said: “Unfortunately, due to an anticipated shortage of qualified drivers next year the company has informed us that they are giving notice on the contract.

“This C60 service will now end on Saturday, December 30, 2017.

“The company will continue to provide Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services for the council. The council will now look for the best options to try to provide the service from January 2018.”

Killin Community Council say that it is vital the service is maintained in some form.

Community council chair Fiona Kennedy said: “There’s a lot of concern because a lot of people use the dentist and the opticians in Callander and they don’t have their own transport so they are quite worried about it.

“We are meeting with Stirling Council next week to discuss several matters and it will be brought up then.

“We really don’t want to lose the bus service.”

Callander Community Council chairman Richard Johnson added: “I would be very disappointed to see any reduction in public transport in the rural areas. Services like this are essential for sustainable rural communities.”

Trossachs and Teith Councillor, Martin Earl says that Stirling Council should use the latest transport blow to extend the rural taxi service.

He said: “Of course this is going to cause a lot of concern.

“I have asked for council officers to organise a meeting as soon as possible with representatives from all the affected community councils to discuss how best to ensure an effective public transport link on this route remains in place.

“This could be an opportunity to extend the DRT taxi service, creating one large operating area from Tyndrum to Callander or put in place another fixed timetable service.

“There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Whatever is agreed, it needs to be in place to take over immediately the current service stops.”

Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford has been inundated with concerns from residents.

He said: “The service currently runs as an important link between Killin and Callander – serving a number of communities in the area such as Strathyre and Lochearnhead.

“For people boarding connecting buses from Callander into Stirling city, this bus route provides the transport needed to gain access to a number of important services – as well as hospital links.

“I intend to meet with the bus operator as well as representatives from Stirling Council’s transport department to assess what can be done to support the continuation of an appropriate service between Killin and Callander.”

Kingshouse Travel took over the running of the service from the former post bus, operated by Royal Mail after it pulled the plug on the route.

I would be very disappointed to see any reduction in public transport in the rural areas