Organisers of a Perthshire music festival have called Stagecoach’s plan to decimate bus services a “serious blow” to their event.
Solas Festival is set to take place in Errol from June 14 -16, less than a month after the bus company’s proposal to cut the X7 and 16 routes which serve the Carse of Gowrie from its timetable.
The plans would leave the area without a commercial bus service when they come into effect on May 13 – as recently announced by the company.
Frank Strang, Solas Festival chairman, told The Courier: “We at Solas love putting on our festival at Errol Park every June.
“It’s a lovely site and the link with the village is fantastic.
“But accessibility and environmental sustainability are key to what we are all about, so if Stagecoach were to stop its bus services that would be a serious blow for us.”
Solas festival backs campaign to stop Stagecoach cuts
Stagecoach recently pushed back their plans to axe the services by a month after pressure from local communities, politicians and The Courier.
The festival organiser said the people at Solas are very much behind the campaign to stop the cuts.
“We very much support the Courier’s campaign to get Stagecoach to think again,” said Mr Strang.
The music and arts festival has a capacity of 1,000 people who travel from across Scotland to attend “Wee Woodstock”.
This year’s event is headlined by Glasgow band Tom McGuire & The Brassholes while popular Perth outfit Parliamo are also on the bill.
Outwith the musical element, the festival will also host political analysist heavyweight John Curtice as well as yoga, mindfulness and other workshops.
Hundreds of people turned up to community halls throughout Perthshire to voice their concerns about the proposals which would leave pupils cut-off from their school and patients from their GP.
The X7 route is also the main bus link between Perth Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Perth and Kinross Council and the bus company have now entered into talks to see what agreement can be reached to save the services.
Stagecoach blamed the changes on “significantly reduced passenger numbers”.
The bus company has come into further criticism in Angus after announcing sweeping changes to its timetable there.
After announcing the planned changes in both Perthshire and Angus, the company put forward plans to increase their fares by 6% across Tayside and Fife from March 31.
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