First Group bosses have been urged to get involved to improve the company’s stuttering local service by a Buchlyvie campaigner.
The operators of the local bus service, First Scotland East, have come under fire on social media after 40 services serving Stirling and Clackmannanshire were cancelled since July 9.
The state of the local service - especially in the region’s rural areas - has been a constant area of concern for locals, but so far efforts to secure substantial changes have fallen on deaf ears.
It has prompted Buchylvie resident Val Brand to appeal to First Group’s top brass to take responsibility over the issue and upgrade the vehicle fleet currently in operation.
Ms Brand says she has been fighting on the issue alongside political and local representatives for several years - and she admits she is concerned about the viability of the service heading into winter if changes aren’t made.
She told the Observer: “In a nutshell, the current vehicles are just done and it’s got to the point where the service is just no longer sustainable.
“I really fear for the winter because if you can’t run a decent service in summer with the schools off on holiday, then when can you?
“First Group have to make some radical decisions otherwise we’re not going to have public transport in Stirling before too long as some of the vehicles being used are 17 or 18 years old and the newer ones just aren’t being maintained.
“We’ve been reporting these problems with vehicles and the maintenance for several years but it’s fallen on deaf ears.
“This is a really important issue to me because a lot of people will be stranded without transport; a lot of elderly people will lose a lot of their independence and it also adds to the stress of appointments in the town because you never know whether you’re going to get there.”
The issue of unreliable bus services is particularly acute for rural residents like Val, where passengers may be left waiting for long periods if timetabled services fail to make it out.
Val added: “The Balfron depot seems to get the end of the line; buses are passed down depots and this area gets the worst.
“People are left stranded if buses don’t turn up out here and it’s often two hours for the next one which can be impossible for people trying to get to their work.
“Things are getting worse despite banging on the drums and the question really needs to be asked about why so many services are being cancelled across Stirling.
“We just keep getting promises and get the same old story but then we end up back at square one, although local management have their hands tied behind their back at this stage.”
One of those Val has been in close contact with over the issue is Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell.
The Green MSP has called on First Group to resolve issues with services such as the X10 - which visits rural stops such as Balfron and Kippen - and said a rethink of how bus services are delivered is also needed.
Mr Ruskell said: “The problems with rural services in the region, especially the X10, are well documented and it’s beyond time for First to start listening to passengers.
“In the short term First need to ensure their services are accessible, clean and reliable.
“Looking ahead though, as we emerge from the pandemic, we need a transformation in public transport, including supporting local authorities to run their own services.
“As long as public transport is run for private profit passengers will never be the priority.”
A First Midland spokesperson said: “I can confirm that some journeys operating from our Bannockburn depot in recent days have had to be cancelled at short notice owing to some sudden and unexpected driver availability issues.
“I would like to assure customers that we’re doing all that we can to make sure that any disruption to our services is kept to an absolute minimum.
“In terms of our fleet, I can advise that each and every one of our vehicles is subject to a rigorous maintenance regime that exceeds industry recommendations by far.”
