A generous Lanarkshire taxi firm has stepped in to provide free travel for “isolated” residents left without public transport after the withdrawal of their valued bus route.
Wellman Cars has pledged £1000 worth of lifts by its fleet of drivers for elderly, vulnerable and low-income Earnock residents into Hamilton town centre to ensure they can make shopping, medical and social visits.
Residents started an online petition during the recent Scottish bus week highlighting the impact of the 2020 withdrawal of the X1 service linking their area with the town centre and Glasgow, saying it means older and disabled residents have become “effectively prisoners in their own homes”.
Wellman was contacted by Hamilton West & Earnock councillor Mary Donnelly and on learning “the devastation this is causing to Earnock residents” swung into action with the initiative – which follows a similar pilot project by the taxi firm in Hillhouse, to help with transport to the area’s Hillstop Cafe.
Representatives of the company told Lanarkshire Live: “To hear that members of our community are unable to get to essential appointments or simply just get themselves out of their own home is horrendous and very unfair.
“As a local firm based in the community of Hamilton and beyond, we know the effect not being able to be out and be social can have; we’ve pledged to give away £1000 in free taxi service for those affected and we look forward to working with residents to ensure no-one is left locked in their home.”
Earnock residents’ association thanked the company for their support and will announce details of criteria and eligibility for the scheme through their Facebook page next week, with the free travel initiative due to involve a password system for qualifying residents to take advantage of the offer.
Residents’ group representatives said: “The people of Earnock and High Earnock are becoming more isolated due to the fact we have no bus link [and] feel cut off.
“This initiative gives the elderly and vulnerable a vital link by getting outdoors at no extra cost to themselves, which is vital in this current economic climate.”
The valued X1 service was withdrawn early in the Covid pandemic, in July 2020, and has not been replaced – with Earnock residents last month staging a demonstration calling for a new bus route to serve the area and their online petition having gathered more than 500 signatures.
Councillor Donnelly said: “The decision to pull the X1 route, in spite of the public campaign which was supported across political parties, has left many of my constituents cut off from a vital transport link into Hamilton.
“I want to thank Wellman Cars for their willingness to step into the breach to ensure that those on low incomes who are elderly or otherwise vulnerable are not isolated through a lack of suitable transport, and I look forward to working with them as this exciting new initiative delivers for the people living in Earnock.”
Hamilton MSP Christina McKelvie said residents had been “let down” by the bus route’s withdrawal and said: “I’m delighted to see the pilot project by Wellman Cars and Hillhouse residents’ association has rolled out into a wider service for Earnock.
“I will continue to work with all interested parties to seek a longer-term solution to the transport problems faced by residents – it is heartening that in the meantime the most vulnerable will not be left in the lurch.”
A spokesperson for First Glasgow told Lanarkshire Live: “The X1 was originally withdrawn from service in July 2020 as the route was sustaining significant losses over a prolonged period of time due to low passenger numbers.
“We are hopeful, once resources allow, that we will be able to increase services in some areas. We remain open to keeping service provision between Glasgow and Hamilton under future review.”
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