By Chris Hardy

STAGECOACH HAVE responded to Montrose and Brechin concerns about bus service revisions and are to return to the original route between the towns.

After a meeting in Montrose yesterday, councillors and politicians welcomed the change as an illustration of the power of public pressure.

The company has agreed to reinstate the direct service between Montrose and Brechin via Tayock and Sleepyhillock. It will also reinstate the half-hour service between Ferryden and Montrose town centre and introduce improvements to the service for Sunnyside Royal Hospital.

The return to the Montrose-Brechin route is in response to outcry at changes which re-directed the route off the main road and via Dubton and Pugeston, cutting out Sleepyhillock cemetery and Tayock.

Montrose’s four councillors, Brechin councillor Mhairi Evans, MP Mike Weir and local community councillors have all welcomed Stagecoach’s decision.

“All people wanted was a bus to get them to work and not have a grand tour of the countryside,” said SNP councillors Sandy West and Paul Valentine.

Angus MP Mike Weir said, “I am delighted that Stagecoach have accepted the arguments put forward. I am very pleased that Stagecoach have accepted that they had made a mistake and have now listened to these public concerns.

“This is a victory for common sense and public pressure.

“I understand the matter still has to go before the traffic commissioners and I hope that they will deal with it speedily.”

Independent councillor Mark Salmond said Stagecoach heeded local interests.

“They have listened to all the concerns raised and have reacted very positively to come forward with changes that will improve services,” he said.

“These latest changes will be a great relief for the residents in the area who were inconvenienced, not just by the re-routing but by the volume of buses using the road.

“It does pay for the public to raise matters with councillors. Because of our interventions we have managed to get Stagecoach to improve the service provision.”

Mr Salmond added, however, that he had been disappointed that his SNP colleagues had politicised an issue on which everyone had been in agreement.

“At our first meeting with Stagecoach four or five weeks ago all the councillors and community councillors agreed to give the company six weeks to bring back proposals,” he said.

He accused councillors West and Valentine of breaching that agreement and deciding “to publicly play petty politics” on the issue while it was under discussion.

“This was a major issue in which we were all united, therefore I am saddened that the SNP decided to politicise it,” he said.

“The breach of the agreement to give Stagecoach six weeks to take action before making any statement has done a lot of harm to any future trust they may have in promises made by local councillors.”