Fife buses: Politicians push Stagecoach over ‘unacceptable’ timetable shake-up

Commuters have one more week to comment on Stagecoach’s proposed timetable changes.

They include the withdrawal of several services, and amended schedules for many others.

Plans to scrap the daytime 14 service to Dunnikier Estate in Kirkcaldy have already been criticised by local councillor, James Leslie, as well as the town’s SNP MSP David Torrance and Councillor Carol Lindsay.

They described the proposed change as “completely ludicrous” at a time when people were being encouraged to use public transport.

Now councillors in Burntisland and Leven have added their voice to the debate.

Councillor Kathleen Leslie, leader of Fife Conservatives at Fife Council, is raising the review with the local authority as a matter of urgency.She said the online consultation wasn’t enough given the potential impact on commuters and towns and villages.

She also highlighted plans to scrap the Kirkcaldy-Edinburgh Express 57 service which goes through Burntisland.

She said: “This would mean no direct service for Burntisland residents using it to get to work in Edinburgh.

“A similar situation exists in the case of the X60 and X61 - this bus provides a direct route from the Chapel Level to Edinburgh. People are concerned they will have to give up their jobs.”

She added: “Stagecoach must listen to these concerns.”

The routes under threat are operated by Stagecoach, and not funded by the local authority.

Added Cllr Leslie: “It is a very strange attitude from a bus company to cut out vital transport links in a time when people are returning to the office, and also when we are being encouraged to use more sustainable travel.

"Given the amount of concerns being raised these are clearly not buses that are empty.”

She said there had to be a Plan B in place if the cuts were implemented and urged people to voice their concerns via the consultation.

That was echoed by Councillor David Graham Buckaven, Methil, Methilhill and Wemyss Villages, who branded the plans “completely unacceptable.”

A spokesperson for Stagecoach East Scotland, said "All of the changes proposed for October are currently under consultation. We encourage feedback to be submitted via our website, and we're also still in active discussion with local authorities.

"The Scottish Government's Covid recovery funding for bus services ends on October 9, and all operators will be similarly impacted by this.

"Travel habits have changed since the pandemic and fewer people are now using some bus services, while the cost of operating is rising sharply. We will always try to keep routes operational where we can, however where there are very low passenger numbers it is sometimes just not possible to do so.

“We have designed a new core network for East Scotland to provide a sustainable bus network now, so that we can grow services over the long term.”

The timetable shake-up includes withdrawing the X61: Kirkcaldy – Chapel - Edinburgh, between Dundee and Kirkcaldy, partly replaced by new service 46. Sunday service between Kirkcaldy & Edinburgh withdrawn with X58/X60 offering partial replacement; X57: Kirkcaldy – Burntisland – Edinburgh; X27A: Dunfermline – Kirkcaldy; X4 - Leven - Glenrothes; 97: St Andrews – Leven, partially replaced by X58 and the 26: Dunfermline – Glenrothes.

Have your say: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-23%2F08%2F2022-14%3A38%3A53%3A510&fbclid=IwAR10eE2WNDZ5ZyFBq0orMpJjdHokpIFRRrHGpE2jTGE91BiGb18xQW0RLks