DUNFERMLINE MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville has secured a meeting with the Scottish Transport Secretary to discuss issues around the city's bus services.
It comes after we told of a new campaign, Better Buses for Strathclyde, which is aiming to revolutionise the bus network across Strathclyde.
The group wants a "complete rebrand" of the network following years of deregulation.
Social Justice Secretary Somerville (below) has been looking into similar issues in her area and distributed a survey which which found the vast majority of respondents felt current services do not meet the expectations of the community.
Somerville conducted the research after growing concerned by constituents not being able to get to work on time or visit relatives due to issues with reliability and glaring gaps in timetables.
She said: “A reliable and efficient local bus service network can ensure that people have access to essential services, education, employment and social opportunities.
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case in Baldridgeburn or in several other communities in the Dunfermline and West Fife area.
“My recent survey revealed a clear desire for better local bus services, and I am fully committed to advocating for the improvements residents deserve.”
Somerville is looking to collaborate with stakeholders – including Fife Council and Stagecoach – to investigate what solutions can be found that would encourage more people to use the bus.
She added: “If people don’t believe the existing services are up to scratch, then they simply won’t use them – and that often means more people making those journey by car instead.
"One of the key findings from Fife Council's recent City Conference Report was a need to 'make better connections', especially improving public transport around Dunfermline.
"I'm hopeful the council can now work towards making this goal a reality. I'm grateful to Fiona Hyslop for agreeing to sit down with me and discuss some of the ideas my team and I have been working on.
"Establishing a direct public transport link to Stirling is just one example of the innovative solutions we are exploring to enhance our city's connectivity.
"Dunfermline is Scotland's newest city and I feel it should be much simpler and quicker for people in Stirling to come here and vice versa."
