Hundreds of buses have been cancelled in Dundee in the first week of a new reduced timetable.

More than 340 services have been called off since the Xplore Dundee timetable launched on Monday.

The bus company has cut services in response to fewer passengers and rising costs, as well as the end of government support.

It comes during a nationwide driver shortage.

Despite the introduction of the new timetable, 57 services were cancelled on the day of the launch, followed by 37 on Tuesday, 125 on Wednesday, 49 on Thursday and 76 on Friday.

‘Allow extra time for travel’ on Xplore Dundee buses

Some of those cancelled include Xplore’s new open-top bus tours of Dundee, which launched earlier this year.

Xplore has been approached for comment but a statement on the company’s website asked passengers to allow extra time for travelling.

It said: “We’re sorry for any disruption caused to your journey as a result of staff being unavailable.

“This is part of an ongoing national issue which is being compounded by sickness absences.

“We’re doing our best to work around these things. Please allow extra time for travelling as any buses being missed may have a knock-on effect to other buses in service.”

Locals hit out at ‘shocking service’

Locals have hit out at the latest round of cancellations.

Posting on the Evening Telegraph’s Facebook page, Angela McGhee said: “They are providing a shocking service and need to up their game.

“People rely on timetables to get them to appointments in good time, especially the elderly.”

Lynette Robertson described the service as “appalling”, adding: “The company does not seem to care about letting down customers on a daily basis. Something has to be done and quickly.”

Stephanie Gibson says the operator should be aiming to make the driver’s roles more attractive when looking for new staff, writing: “More drivers would mean better and efficient timetables and buses to run on time.

“If you’re struggling this much to employ anyone, at a time where people are needing an income, maybe think about how you can make the role more competitive to encourage more applicants.”

Others have called for Xplore Dundee to have its licence revoked – though one public transport information page says this would only lead to even more cancellations.

@XploreDundee should have their licence to operate in Dundee revoked due to continued and repeated cancellation of services over the past few months appalling service 😡😡

— Louise Stirton💚🤍💜 (@louisestirton) August 15, 2022

Dundee councillor Fraser Macpherson, who represents the West End, says he has contacted Xplore Dundee about the issue.

He told The Courier: “I have heard from a few constituents who are disappointed with the lack of services that are currently provided in Dundee.

“This is, of course, a national problem but something has to be done in order to tackle the shortage crisis we are currently experiencing.”

We continue to engage with bus operators and local government to monitor patronage and service levels

Scottish Government

When asked what it is doing to ensure buses run more reliably, a Scottish Government spokesperson blamed Covid-19 and Brexit for putting pressure on labour markets.

The spokesperson added: “We have provided up to £210 million in funding to support bus services during the pandemic and are providing £100m in funding to support bus services this year including additional recovery funding.

“As we continue to navigate our way through and out of the pandemic, it is important that the support we give transport operators evolves to make sure it remains fit for purpose and represents value for money.

“We continue to engage with bus operators and local government to monitor patronage and service levels.”