The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Community bus faces chop
Transport: Banchory service to be replaced by door-to-door system
Aberdeenshire Council has announced plans to scrap a popular community bus service.
The existing Banchory town service is supported by the authority, but will be replaced next month with a door-to-door service.
Chairwoman of Banchory Community Council, Mary Lennox said the proposal to ditch the service had come as a surprise and added: “We will be discussing it at our next meeting, it has just been sprung on us.”
The 205 town service operates a circular route through Banchory from Bellfield Car Park throughout the day between 9am and 5pm, Monday-Friday.
The new dial-a-bus service, dubbed the Banchory A2B, will be “demand responsive” and can be booked in advance, but will begin operations on a reduced timetable of only 9.30am to 3.30pm.
A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council argued the bus would fulfil customer needs, and added: “Passengers phone to request the bus at the time they would like to be collected. Anyone travelling to a health appointment is given priority by being able to book up to two weeks ahead.”
However, in Newtonhill, Councillor Ian Mollison said similar amenities in his area had been saved after a recent budget review.
He said: “Two of the services due to end in July were the 103 Cookney to/from Bridge of Dee and the 108 Muchalls to/from the Chapelton Park and Choose.
“The 103 will continue until at least the end of the current financial year.
“The 108 will be retained on Tuesdays and Thursdays, again until at least the end of the financial year.”
Banchory residents are being invited to attend one of the drop-in sessions next week on June 12 in Bellfield Car Park between 9.30am and 10.30am, Tuesday, June 13 in Morrison’s Car Park and Wednesday, June 14 in Tesco’s Car park at the same times.
The new dial-a-bus will come into action on Monday, July 17 and can be booked by phoning A2B on 01467 535333.
“We will be discussing it at our next meeting”