Anger as bid to save Dunfermline D8 bus service fails
A Dunfermline councillor claims Fife Council has rejected residents' pleas to save a local bus service.
- By Leeza Clark
- Published in the Courier : 14.10.11
- Published online : 14.10.11 @ 11.55am
Residents in the South Bellyeoman area were devastated to learn their local service, the D8, was axed last August. Many said it was a lifeline for scores of people who live on the large estate.
However, following a meeting of residents and local Labour Councillor Bill McCulloch with Stagecoach, it looked like a solution had been found.
Mr McCulloch said: "I was really pleased that Stagecoach had come up with a solution which not only would have benefited residents in Bellyeoman but would have restored a service to residents in Crossford."
However, he said he has since been advised by Dr Bob McLellan, head of transportation and environmental services at Fife Council, that the local authority was rejecting this proposal.
"Dr McLellan seemed to think the D8 provided a bus service to just one street in the area when in fact there is a community of about 500 residents who could use this service.
"He also said elderly residents could use the Dial a Ride and Ring A Ride services. However, these services just don't provide the flexibility and independence that most residents want."
He said he asked him to reconsider this matter and to look at existing routes which might be diverted to meet the needs of residents in South Bellyeoman."
A spokeswoman for Stagecoach in Fife said: "After receiving comments from Councillor McCulloch and local residents on bus services in the Lauriston Drive area of Dunfermline, we have fed back this information to Fife Council, and are currently discussing possible solutions."
Dr McLellan said: "Our understanding is that some locals who used the previous D8 daytime — not evenings — journeys are now aggrieved that the bus operator has removed the commercial service as from August 15."
He said Fife Council already supports or funds around £4.5m of local bus services in Fife and recent school and local bus tenders in the south area of Fife increased by "a whopping" 32%.
"We're therefore unable to consider further extending the level of supported bus network in Fife if operators pull out of commercial services.
"Diverting other services to plug the gap in Lauriston Drive was analysed but the solution which Councillor McCulloch refers to would have halved the number of buses serving Garvock Hill and Halbeath Drive and we have already told him that we believe this would impact on existing passengers there.
"It should also be stressed the residents of the Lauriston Drive area can access regular bus services in Robertson Road for service 79 which is only approximately a further 300 metres distance from the previously used bus stops in Lauriston Drive."
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