BUS TIMETABLE CHANGES IN MID ARGYLL AND KINTYRE

[Kintyre Forum News]

BUS TIMETABLE CHANGES IN MID ARGYLL AND KINTYRE

Argyll and Bute Council has announced several changes to council-funded bus services in Mid Argyll and Kintyre with effect from Thursday July 1, 2010.

The Mondays to Fridays 5pm Service 428 journey from Ardrishaig to Inveraray via Mid Argyll Hospital will be withdrawn.

Alternative journeys are available at 3.30pm from Ardrishaig on school days and at 6.35pm daily by Scottish Citylink Service 926. These journeys do not call at Mid Argyll Hospital.

The 7.10am Service 449 journey from Lochgilphead to Campbeltown, which only operates on school holidays, will also be withdrawn.

The changes were agreed by the Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands area committee in a bid to achieve the savings which have to be made in the council’s 2010-11 public transport budget.

Committee chair, Councillor Donnie MacMillan, said: “We obviously regret the withdrawal of any public transport services.

“However, these ones have unfortunately been poorly patronised despite heavy marketing. It simply does not make sense - particularly in this extremely challenging financial climate - for the council to continue putting significant amounts of money into a service which is only used by a handful of people.”

As an alternative, car sharing is being promoted by HITRANS, the Highlands and Islands Strategic Transport Partnership, and information packs will be available to passengers on the affected journeys. Further information is available at www.ifyoucareshare.com or by calling 01667 460 464.

In one other change, the Service 425/426 route extension from Lochnell Street will be withdrawn from McIntyre Terrace and replaced by Service 422 with effect from July 1, 2010. The number of journeys to McIntyre Terrace will increase from four to five daily on Mondays to Fridays at no additional cost to the council.

The saving to the council public transport budget in a full year from these changes will be approximately £43,000.