Two north Fife communities are hoping to call a halt to the withdrawal of one of their bus services.
People in Newport and Wormit are up in arms about the Stagecoach announcement it will stop running the 77A on February 21.
The local community council, which only learned of the proposal a fortnight ago, said it had received a deluge of complaints, particularly from Wormit residents in Bay Road, Craigshannoch Road, Glenleven Drive, Strathblair Avenue and Devonlea Terrace.
Chairman Stewart McKiddie said, “It is unacceptable that the 77A service should be completely withdrawn. In the past, when there have been proposed changes to bus routes or timetables, our local councillors, Fife Council and the community council have been consulted, resulting in reasonable and effective compromises.
“On this occasion there has been no consultation whatsoever, therefore the community council has had no opportunity to suggest an alternative proposal or compromise.”
Many of the people who live along the route are elderly and rely on the three 77A buses that run each day.
As well as leaving them to struggle uphill, the withdrawal of the service would deny many elderly users social contact, the community council said, as meeting friends at the bus stop helped alleviate loneliness, particularly in winter.
While Stagecoach claimed the 77A was the poorest performing of the 77 routes, the community council claimed this may be due to the times of day it is run that are likely to be quieter.FearsA further consequence of the withdrawal feared is that the streets served would have their priority status removed in Fife Council’s gritting scheme, including Kirk Road, Waterstone Crook and Bay Road.
Mr McKiddie said, “This winter there have been a spate of falls and broken bones suffered by people trying to get to school, work or the shops. The loss of priority status would be devastating in adverse weather conditions.”
Tay bridgehead councillor Tim Brett is backing the community council and said, “I have asked Douglas King, Stagecoach East of Scotland commercial manager, if he will attend a meeting of the Newport and Wormit Community Council on February 14 when these changes will be discussed.
“I hope that the changes can be halted until these discussions take place. The community council and I have had over 20 people contact us over the last week worried about this.
“I am concerned that under present rules bus companies can make changes like this to their routes without any discussion with local communities or elected members, and I have written to Iain Smith MSP and asked him to raise this with the transport minister in the Scottish Government.”
Mr Brett said he had also requested detailed passenger numbers for the routes.
Stagecoach East Scotland confirmed it was low passenger numbers on parts of the 77A route that made it commercially unviable.
Mr King said, “We have had to take action in order to provide a commercially sustainable network of services in the area for the future.
“Despite service 77A being withdrawn from February 21, the route 77B variation will act as a replacement, continuing to offer a simpler frequency incorporating an hourly 77 along with an hourly 77B, in order to better serve the majority of passengers in the Gauldry, Wormit and Newport area.”
He also confirmed a Stagecoach representative will attend the community council meeting to discuss the issue with locals.