Perth residents say they have been left feeling “vulnerable” and fearing for their jobs as scores of Stagecoach buses are being cancelled every day.
Nearly 150 services were scrapped on Thursday alone as the operator battles with staff shortages.
Cancellations have been affecting Stagecoach services in the city, along with some rural areas, since June 21 – leaving commuters and those trying to get to appointments without transport.
Several route are affected, including those serving the North Muirton, Letham, Craigie and Tulloch areas – along with some hospital services.
Perth: The following services are cancelled due to driver shortage: 9 North Muirton-Perth @ 06:32, 10:57, 11:33, 12:09, 16:00, 16:45, 18:10, 18:45, 19:15, 19:45, 20:15, 20:45, 21:15, 21:45, 22:00. Sorry for the inconvenience
— Stagecoach East Scotland (@StagecoachEScot) June 30, 2022
The Perth-based firm – which saw revenues rise to £1.2 billion in the year up to April – insists it is working to employ more staff.
Caira Martin, a social care officer, said: “The buses have had most services cancelled for a few weeks now, and with the work I do, getting to and from work is essential as I work in social care and have to support people.
“I would walk, but sadly as a lone woman at night I don’t feel safe doing that.
“I’m left with a choice: I either walk, or pay over £10 for a taxi, which isn’t affordable every day.
“Otherwise I am stuck having to make last-minute arrangements, as they are not announcing cancellations until the morning of them, and only on Twitter.
“With the cost of living crisis, people can’t afford to pay for extras like taxis, but have no choice in order to get to work to support those who need it.”
Pensioner left feeling ‘vulnerable’
Speaking to The Courier in Perth city centre on Thursday, bus user Betty Johnson, 69, said: “It’s worrying as an older person – I feel very vulnerable having to wait for long periods of time alone.
“It’s putting me off going out and about which isn’t what I want. I have always been really independent, and this is taking that away.
“I don’t want to feel scared of going out and about any more.”
It’s a total gamble to see if the bus is going to turn up or not
Mikey MacKay, 38, says cancellations have made him late for work a few times.
He said: “It’s frustrating, especially with the trains also being an issue at the minute. I can’t rely on either mode of transport.
“It’s a total gamble to see if the bus is going to turn up or not at the moment.
“It’s causing me a lot of stress. I’m worried I’ll get fired.
“I understand that driver shortages can’t be helped, but something needs to be done. This is really disrupting people’s daily lives.”
One woman, 68, who asked not to be named said: “I just hope things go back to normal soon. It’s stopping me from going about my day. It makes me anxious.
“The other day I waited for an hour alone at a bus stop at night, for the bus to not turn up. I had to get a taxi.”
Another customer said: “It’s a pain getting to and from anywhere right now. You can never tell if the bus is actually going to show up or not, it’s a bit of a mess.”
Locals ‘might give up on the bus’
Alasdair Bailey, a councillor representing the Carse of Gowrie – which is served by some of the buses – fears of the lasting impact of a poor public transport system.
He said: “We need to keep the buses running well if we’re to both tackle climate change and help folk out in this current cost of living crisis.
“Otherwise, I worry that folk will give up on the bus and buy more cars as a result of the low reliability – and then it’s a number of years before you can tempt that person back to the bus.”
Bus services in Fife and Angus, along with some running through Dundee, are also being affected.
Brechin councillor Gavin Nicol said: “I am aware that the shortages will cause a problem to a number of residents and they may not be aware of it yet.
“I have heard from a number of people who travel to Laurencekirk by bus that there is no service from Brechin and that they have to travel to Montrose and wait up to an hour for the bus.”
Stagecoach says 99% of services still running
A spokesperson for Stagecoach East Scotland, said: “We are sorry that we are not able to run our normal high quality of service in Perth at this time, and for the impact this is having on some of our customers.
“Like the wider community, we are still seeing sick absence amongst our workforce as a result of Covid cases and this also impacts service levels.
“We are continuing to run over 99% of our services as normal across East Scotland and where services are impacted, we will let people know through our website and Twitter (@StagecoachEScot) with as much notice as possible.
“Where we are having to change or cancel services, we focus on making sure that we are continuing to run the best services we can throughout the day and evening.
We are actively recruiting for trainee and qualified bus drivers and also have a number of drivers progressing through our training school at present
“Many of our current timetables are based on pre-Covid demand, and as such we will be continually looking at how travel patterns change as we welcome customers back to the bus.
“This also includes the increased demand from under-22s, who now have access to free bus travel as part of the national concessionary travel scheme.
“A recent Open University report shows that 70% of organisations in Scotland say they are currently facing staff shortages. We are actively recruiting for trainee and qualified bus drivers and also have a number of drivers progressing through our training school at present.
“It’s vital to take the time to ensure all new drivers reach the high level of professional standards we expect. That means those new drivers will not be out on the road for some weeks. To apply for one of our vacancies, please visit stagecoachbus.com.”
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