Stagecoach will review their new reduced bus route in Carse of Gowrie after a number of complaints were levelled at the service.
The bus company introduced the 39 service on May 13 in place of the 16 and X7 routes which were cut as part of a raft of changes to the timetable in Perthshire.
But less than a month into the new reduced service, passengers are complaining that many buses are either late or have failed to show up.
Stagecoach had originally threatened to axe all commercial bus services throughout the Carse of Gowrie but were forced to roll back on plans after a campaign of pressure from The Courier, local residents and politicians.
So many complaints were made that Carse of Gowrie Conservative councillor Angus Forbes threatened to take them to the Traffic Commissioner.
Stagecoach has now stepped in to see if a solution can be found.
Reduced service should ‘at least’ be reliable
Mr Forbes told The Courier he was forced to take action after 12 constituents alerted him to the issues, many saying they had complained to the bus company directly without success.
“I decided that the only viable option now is to make a complaint to the Traffic Commissioner so I have set up an online form which has had 36 responses so far,” he said.
“I was pleased that my efforts attracted the attention of Stagecoach who have contacted me and asked me to share the data with them, which I will gladly do.
“Perhaps if Stagecoach is serious about resolving this issue then we can avoid a complaint to the Traffic Commissioner.”
The councillor believes the reduction in service means the company should be ensuring their buses are punctual.
He told The Courier: “Stagecoach made some changes to the Carse routes which has resulted in a decreased service.
“They justified this by saying it would make the service more sustainable but with so many people saying the service is either late or doesn’t arrive, it’s hardly sustainable.
“The complaints range from buses arriving very late to not at all and a lack of information from Stagecoach.
“On one occasion my constituent called Stagecoach and was told to ignore the app because it was in meltdown.
“We have a reduced service now so it should at least be reliable ”
Stagecoach to determine if change to 39 is needed
Last week, an Errol mother told The Courier of her frustration at the 39 after it failed to show up on time to take her children to school on Wednesday morning.
She said: “The only option my kids have is to get the 7.56am bus or quarter to 7.
“Even if the bus is five minutes later here, it makes them 25 minutes late to school.
“My daughter says it’s affecting her learning. It’s just a nightmare.”
Earlier in May, Perth and Kinross Council warned Stagecoach it may reconsider the company’s school bus contract after a no-show left pupils stranded, forcing the company into an apology.
Stagecoach said it will examine the complaints collected by Mr Forbes before deciding what action to take.
A spokesperson for Stagecoach East Scotland said: “We look forward to working with Councillor Forbes to review the feedback received in regards to our services change in the Carse of Gowrie area from May 13.
“Once evaluated, we’ll determine if any further changes are required for future network reviews in the area.”
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