A vital bus service for old folk in Castle Douglas could be axed.
Transport partnership SWestrans is about to tender for new bus contracts to come into effect later this year.
While they are hoping to continue existing services, financial pressures mean a number of alternatives are also being looked at.
And one of these proposals could see the end of the 512 Castle Douglas town service.
Community council treasurer Martin Fortnum said: “I certainly don’t think it would be a good idea as from what I can gather it is a well used service and we would be sorry to see it go.
“It’s popular with the older people to go round the supermarkets and go shopping and as far as I’m aware it’s always been a popular service around the town.
“I would definitely say it’s a service we don’t want to lose.”
Members of the SWestrans board will be asked to agree the tender process tomorrow.
Earlier this year, they voted that 55 of the 57 existing bus contracts would be terminated in August so that new deals could be agreed.
A bid to extend existing agreements until March 2024 while SWestrans officials worked on a new public transport model fell through as soaring coasts saw the majority of bus companies unwilling to agree to the move.
The contract for the 502 Castle Douglas to Dumfries route had been due to end in the spring but an extra £160,000 has been secured from the council to ensure it can end in August like the other 55 contracts, while a new long-term deal for the Dumfries to Edinburgh route comes into effect this weekend.
A report for tomorrow’s meeting by lead SWestrans officer Douglas Kirkpatrick warns that “we can anticipate a level of inflation across all current supported services when they are retendered as operators react to ongoing operating cost volatility (fuel, maintenance, wages), continuing low passenger numbers, reduction in national recovery funding and the shortage of qualified drivers”.
And as the partnership can only offer services that are “affordable within the cash limited revenue budget it has for the provision of socially necessary local bus services”, a review of the existing routes was undertaken to look at costs and possible alternatives.
The review scored each route out of 60 on a number of aspects, including value for money, need and use by people under-22 and over 60. It found there were 2,600 passengers a year on the 512 Castle Douglas town service – 2,119 of them aged 60 or over.
Members are asked to agree that the procurement process “will seek prices for all existing services on a like for like basis”, but prices will also be sought for 18 alternative options which would reduce the number of vehicles needed, merge some existing contracts “or provider a lesser level of provision than currently available based on evidence need”.
One of those alternatives affects the 503 Dumfries to Lochfoot to Castle Douglas service and the 512 Castle Douglas town route.
This would mean just one bus is needed but would reduce return journeys from Dumfries to Castle Douglas from seven to six.
The report also recommends the new tenders would be for five years, plus a possible two year extension, which would “provide a level of stability and operational certainty that has not been possible since 2020 and enable operators to invest in vehicles and staff”.
