Council apologises following U-turns on cut bus services

The council has apologised and reinstated cut bus services after sudden, sweeping timetable changes in Oban, Barcaldine and Dunbeg left disabled people waiting at bus stops for cancelled services.

 

On Friday, the council announced an increase in bus services between Oban and Barcaldine, and to Catalina Avenue and Nant Drive in Oban, following a backlash of complaints.

 

After the bus timetable changes came into force on August 15, some areas, such as Catalina Avenue, were left with no bus services at all, while others, like Nant Drive, had fewer buses. Some, including Dunbeg and Mossfield, had more than before.

 

Hundreds of people signed petitions to reinstate the 405 Oban-Barcaldine/Appin service, and bring back regular stops at Nant Drive, McKelvie Road and Catalina Avenue on the 416 Oban town service.

 

West Coast Motors, which decided the changes with Argyll and Bute Council, explained at the time: 'Low bus usage and the completion of the turning facility in the new estate at Dunbeg was the primary reason for these changes.

 

'Due to the short notice awareness of the turning facility opening, we were only able to make customers aware of the changes within two weeks of them taking place. This also coincided with the return of the schools, and some enhancements that were made for school travel between Dunbeg and Oban.'

 

A month later on September 14, a council officer told councillors on the Oban, Lorn and the Islands Area Committee: 'The community feedback demonstrated that these services were more important to communities than the patronage figures might otherwise have suggested.' An update on 'improvements' is expected soon.

 

The remarks were a response to Oban community councillor Duncan Martin, who had raised 'the sudden and almost entirely unpublicised butchering of the bus services in Oban, which appears to have been passed by the council officials, together with West Coast Motors, with effectively no consultation with the local members as to what the effects would be, and leaving people - disabled people - waiting at a bus stop which no longer receives any services.

 

'This is appalling publicity for the council. It was stated at our community council meeting there would be no policy decision by councillors to change bus services to reduce the budget or anything else. We want to find out how this was processed through council officials.'

 

A council report, set before the area committee, updated: 'We are continuing to work with colleagues at West Coast Motors to review the community feedback on the recent changes to the bus services in Oban and surrounding areas.

 

'We are hopeful that we will be able to provide a detailed update which will include further bus service changes [this] week. This should go some way to addressing many of the concerns raised, as well as retaining the enhancements to the service which has been provided for the Dunbeg community.'

 

A council officer further told the meeting: 'It would be fair to say, in summary, that the community feedback demonstrated that these services were more important to communities than the patronage figures might otherwise have suggested. So that is something that we're taking back, we're thinking about, and a further update will be coming forward.

 

'Speaking to the wider comment about consultation, I agree with the principles of that comment, and it's something that we are going to think about: about how we develop and engage with different bus user forums.

 

'In terms about the comment about publicity, bus timetable changes are made all across the country, bus timetables are updated, online and in the press, at bus stops, so it shouldn't have been the case that any timetables were inaccurate, and if people were waiting for a bus they were expecting and it wasn't there, then we can only apologise for this.'

 

On Friday, the council emailed one complainant: 'We have been working closely with our partners at West Coast Motors to review the timetables to try and resolve the concerns that have been raised.

 

'Community feedback showed us that the services were more important than the provided patronage data suggested. We are now in a position to advise the following:

 

'The service to Catalina Avenue that operated prior to 15th August 2022 will be reinstated following evidence from the community and local members.

 

'Oban Airport will have buses serving the airport bus stop (this is on a stub road just off the main A828) but linking in with flight times rather than diverting every journey passing in to this facility.

 

'This diversion had contributed to issues with timekeeping along the route, and by scheduling buses to serve the airport as and when required, we will be able to balance the needs of visitors and residents with the need to provide a timetable that is reliable.

 

'Barcaldine will regain a bus at around 10:30 heading into Oban, and around 14:30 arriving back in Barcaldine from Oban, to allow grocery shopping and leisure visits to the civic centre of Oban.

 

'Nant Drive will regain some of the journeys pivoted elsewhere after 15th August, likely a mixture of scheduled into Oban centre and on-demand returns (by request to driver when getting on the bus).

 

'The Mossfield area of Oban, which has briefly enjoyed a twice-an-hour bus service since 15th August, will drop back down to an hourly service.

 

'We apologise for any distress this has caused and trust that the new revisions are welcome.'

 

Monday's meeting of Dunbeg Community Council also heard that: 'The 005 is now going into the new scheme, but it has been observed that there is an increase in people crossing the main road to catch the 405, which no longer comes into the village, and that includes children who have missed the school bus, mothers with prams and people with disabled scooters.

 

'The same is happening with people coming from the Benderloch area and Connel from the doctor’s surgery being dropped off at the ‘Glasgow’ bus stop and having to cross the road. West Coast Motors are to be informed of these concerns.'