Fife Council looks for quicker bus journeys – and more commuters on board

Local authority bosses are preparing bids for Transport Scotland s Bus Partnership Fund so they can open up Kingdom roads to mass transit, prioritising it over public cars where possible.

Among the plans thought to be mooted are a long-discussed park and choose facility at the Tay Road Bridge for Fifers who work in Dundee, and a similar facility for Rosyth at the train station.

However, no concrete plans have been agreed yet.

Derek Crowe, head of transportation, said funding bids will finance more detailed studies of what would most benefit the region.

He told a council committee last week: "These are just bids to get more money to carry out more detailed appraisals and develop business cases to get really into the detail of these potentially high value projects.

"These could lead to some very positive improvements down the line that can only make our bus services more attractive.

"The Rosyth park and choose, improving the corridors to the Firth of Forth and from St Andrews to Dundee, improving connections within Fife, they're all part of that."

Over the last decade, bus journeys have fallen by a fifth across the country while private car ownership has risen by 13%.

The Fife Bus Partnership - made up of Fife Council and local bus companies - will stake its claim to some of the cash to cover the majority of the region, but is teaming up with Tayside and south-eastern councils for projects that straddle council borders.

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https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FFP/V