The new Stagecoach timetable comes into effect today (Monday May 13) after the bus company backtracked on plans to decimate routes throughout Perthshire.
The operator had threatened to withdraw all commercial services from the Carse of Gowrie and reduce routes in other areas like Bertha Park and Highland Perthshire.
However, following public outcry and a campaign of pressure from The Courier, residents and politicians, the bus company put forward a new proposal last month.
The biggest change sees the removal of the 16 and X7 services from the Carse of Gowrie to be replaced with the 39.
The new timetable for Perthshire was met with a mixed reaction when first unveiled on April 5.
Newly-appointed First Minister and Perthshire North MSP John Swinney called the new service “a victory for commuters” after Stagecoach’s climbdown.
But Carse of Gowrie Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey said the new timetable left “an awful lot to be desired”.
The 39 bus service
The 39 will run between Arbroath and Ninewells and will operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday during the day.
These journeys will extend to Invergowrie.
One journey per hour will extend from Ninewells to Perth Royal Infirmary and these journeys will operate via villages in the Carse currently serviced by route 16/16X.
For some communities this will retain the existing hourly frequency.
Stagecoach say Errol and Glendoick will be served approximately every two hours.
Monday to Saturday evening journeys, and Sunday journeys that were numbered 16B will be renumbered to 39B, operating between Perth bus station and Dundee bus station.
New Stagecoach timetable
Services 1/1A
Services 2/2A
Minor changes to the daytime timetables Monday – Sunday; evening timetable revised to incorporate North Muirton.
Service 4
Monday – Saturday revised timetable. Sundays now covered by 34C.
Services 5/6
7.45am from Mill Street Monday – Friday retimed to operate five minutes earlier.
Services 7/7A/7B/7C
Revised timetable and route. Journeys between Scone and City centre now operate every 15 minutes (up from every 20 currently) Revised route will omit Scone Park & Ride (bus some journeys on 57 will connect this site with Perth city centre).
Service between City centre and Broxden Park & Ride revised including some journeys now via Aviva. Some journeys will continue beyond Broxden to service Hillend.
Services 8/8S
Revised timetable to operate up to every 30 minutes via existing route. Early morning and some evening journeys will be replaced by service 7B, operating via Broxden Park & Ride.
Service 9
Minor changes to the daytime timetable Monday – Sunday; evening timetable withdrawn, replaced by 1A & 2A. Connections now available to PRI from North Muirton without changing bus.
Services 14/14A
Monday – Saturday revised timetable, some additional journeys now serve Huntingtower View near Dobbies. Additional journeys on service 14A extend to Almondbank. All services will operate along A85 between Tesco and Almondbank. Sunday service replaced by some journeys on service 15.
Services 15/15A
Revised Monday – Sunday timetable. Some additional Sunday journeys will operate via Pitcairngreen and Almondbank.
Services 16/16B
Service replaced by service 39/39A, see details below. 16B renumbered 39B.
Service 18
Withdrawn and replaced by journeys on service 7.
Services 23/23A/23X/27/27X
Most Monday – Saturday daytime journeys withdrawn with service 34/34A providing partial replacements. Some remaining journeys will operate at slightly different times.
Service 24
Revised timetable to provide connections at Ballinluig from services to Perth/Aberfeldy.
Services 34/34A/34C
Monday – Saturday revised timetable and route; service extends beyond Stanley to Bankfoot, Birnam, Dunkeld up to every hour and to Ballinluig (for Pitlochry) and Aberfeldy up to every two hours. Service between Blairgowrie and Spittalfield withdrawn.
Sunday journeys on 34C revised to operate via Bertha Park.
Services 39/39A/39B
Service between Arbroath and Ninewells will operate every 30 minutes Monday – Saturday during the day. These journeys will extend to Invergowrie, giving this area a 30-minute service.
One journey per hour will extend from Ninewells to Perth Royal Infirmary to retain a link for the Carse to both hospital sites using a low floor bus.
Some journey opportunities from Kingoodie to Ninewells and Dundee will also be maintained.
Monday – Saturday evening journeys, and Sunday journeys that were numbered 16B will be renumbered to 39B, operating between Perth bus station and Dundee bus station.
Services 57/57A//57U
Minor changes to Monday – Saturday evening timetables; extra journeys added between Perth and Blairgowrie have been added on a Saturday.
Some journeys now operate via Scone Park & Ride.
Service 70
0640 service from Inveralmond bus depot Monday – Friday extends to Bertha park arriving at 0738.
Service X7
Service between Perth Royal Infirmary and Dundee bus station will be withdrawn and partially replaced by revised service 39/39A.
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