Bus services threatened with cuts 20/1/12
Bus services in the Western Isles are threatened with cutbacks to try and save £411,000 a year.
The reduction would take the bus budget overspend back in line after costs spiralled out of control due to the rising price of fuel.
Western Isles Council proposes to further slash day and evening services between Stornoway and North Tolsta, Back, Tong, Sandwick, Melbost and Point on Lewis.
It also plans to reduce evening buses across rural Lewis including the services which link villages to the main routes.
The council previously reported that passenger usage data from the new electronic ticket machine indicates the “demand for some public bus services is disappointingly low in comparison to the service level provided.”
“It has highlighted that public evening bus services in particular are generally poorly used.”
However, the council had already abolished the later bus runs to a number of areas before electronically assessing the demand for these services.
The local authority warns the move threatens rural communities and could make them “less sustainable.”
It accepts the proposed changes creates a “significant impact to evening service users to rural areas across Western Isles “ which would downgrade access to services and social inclusion.
The worst affected would be youth, late shift workers, evening shoppers and hospital visitors highlights the council.
It would also hit “community groups and their customers, (people) reliant on services to access local services such as shops, post offices and health clinics.”
The council will also look at the funding of community transport.
It highlights that the “potential reduced availability of Dial-
Options to reduce services are already been incorporated into the present round of bus tendering and, if the proposed cuts are agreed this year, will be implemented after the main principal bus routes contracts end in March 2014 and 2015.
The council it needs to consider such drastic measures to try and claw back the overspend in bus service budget.
Council leader Angus Campbell it will launch a public consultation over the issue aimed at community councils and other local groups.
He said: “We cannot continue to let the budget go out of control. We have got to get it in balance.”