A large number of the regions Sunday and evening bus services may possibly be binned in a bid to save the council around £300,000 it has been revealed.
The South West of Scotland Transport Partnership (SWestrans) is holding a meeting to discuss the move on Friday at Gatehouse of fleet 10.30am, Murray Arms .
At the Meeting they will discuss the plan to reduce the annual publicity budget by £10,000 by cutting down on printing timetables. Plus a discussion to possibly reduce local bus service provision by removing all Sunday journeys, all Monday to Saturday journeys after 6pm and the 350 Stranraer to Cairnryan service to make an overall saving in 2016/17 of £305,488
Dumfries and Galloway Greens have announced that they are horrified by drastic cuts to bus services across the county which could be in place as early as May.
Sarah Beattie-Smith, lead candidate for the Greens in the South of Scotland and Green spokesperson on infrastructure said:
“The decision to cut all Sunday and evening bus services will be a devastating blow for many low-paid people across Dumfries and Galloway. Shift workers like nurses, care workers and those employed in hospitality and tourism will find themselves unable to get to work and in some cases out of a job. While those who can afford it will turn to the car, therefore putting more cars on the road and increasing congestion and pollution, those who cannot will be isolated and cut off from economic and educational opportunities and from society at large. The loss of this lifeline service is a political choice, not an inevitability. We urge Swestrans to reconsider their decision”.
Laura Moodie, Dumfries & Galloway Greens Co-convenor said: “In recent local surveys of bus users, carried out by local Greens, the clamour was for more services, not less, especially at weekends and in the evenings. Young people in particular will feel the burden of these cuts and they could have a negative impact on visitor numbers and perception of the region. Over 14,000 homes within Dumfries & Galloway do not have a vehicle. Of these, over 2,500 are considered to be in remotely rural locations. A bus service for those without cars is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.”
South of Scotland MSPs Aileen McLeod and Joan McAlpine have today (Thursday) called for an urgent rethink of proposed cuts to public transport provision for the region, which would see bus services after 6pm and all buses on Sundays scrapped. Regional Transport Partnership Swestrans will make the decision at its meeting in Gatehouse of Fleet tomorrow.
Aileen McLeod commented:
“Everyone knows that savings need to be made and every political group on Dumfries & Galloway Council included a reduction in funding for public transport in their budget proposals at the end of February. But the impact of these proposals will be severe – the idea that in a matter of weeks’ time buses running after 6pm and on Sundays might be scrapped just beggars belief.
Joan McAlpine added:
“These bus services are a lifeline for many of my constituents. I cannot believe that this is the only viable option to save money out of a £3.5 million budget and it is bound to have a significant negative affect on people who currently rely on bus services to get to and from work, education and NHS services – not to mention accessing shops or onward journeys. Money needs to be saved but these plans need to be rethought urgently.”
Full info on https://swestrans.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=9706 Point 10 contains budget proposals, pg 103 includes a list of affected services
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