Bus services safe from axe for three years
Gary Fitzpatrick • Published 1 Apr 2011 08:15
7 Comments
BUS services for schools and subsidised routes in West Fife have been saved from the axe for the next three years.
Fife Council has decided to keep Stagecoach as provider despite recent controversies over cuts to buses to Saline, Steelend and changes to the 19 route in Dunfermline.
However, the cost of the contract has soared by 35 per cent and councillors are warning a major re-think is required over the future of service buses.
In the longer term, schools services will be affected as well as subsidised evening and weekend services to outlying communities.
Transportation chair Tony Martin said one possible change which would looked at would be staggering the opening times for Dunfermline's secondary schools.
"We could look at staggering the opening times for Dunfermline High, Woodmill and Queen Anne so that the one set of buses can cover them all.
"Generally, we'll have to look at what we're providing and what we have to under statutory duties.
"We have to have an open debate about the future of bus services where everyone knows about the rising costs, less money for councils and we have to be realistic about what we can provide.
"There are services where at nights there are only two or three people using a bus but to those few people it's a vital service.
"The situation in Saline and Steelend showed we can find improvements by getting together and listening to suggestions from the local people.
"One or two changes can make a big difference.
"With this decision, I felt we could not just say we're suddenly pulling out of these commitments.
"However, it leaves us with a lot of money to find from other parts of our budget."
Dr Bob McLellan, head of transportation, said, "This has been a particularly difficult decision for the committee in the current economic climate during massive budget constraints.
"To deliver the same level of provision throughout Fife would see a 74 per cent increase in expenditure over the next five years.
"This is not sustainable and it is necessary that we investigate what action can be taken to mitigate the shortfall in budgets.
"A significant 35 per cent increase in the tender prices for school and subsidised bus services received are as a direct result of rising fuel costs and also the reductions in levels of support to bus operators across Scotland.
"In light of these increases, we will be undertaking a review of school and local bus services in full consultation with the public on the costs and benefits of these services to be completed by October 2011."
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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small package
Unregistered User
Apr 1, 14:04
Report commentI'm sorry, but who decided to build the largest bloody schools in the country in the first place which means that nearly all the children require a bus service to attend them? Who decided to not to have local high schools, where children are able to walk or cycle thus reducing the need for motorised transport? It's like everything else in Fife - bigger is better, let's get it centralised and be damned. Hospitals, police stations, fire brigade, schools......
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Not Happy Jan
Unregistered User
Apr 1, 22:58
Report commentFife Council you continue to be innovative providing solutions to everyday problems on a limited budget.
Obviously the executive are working hard and deserve every penny they earn. We are luck to have them.
Keep it going Fife Council.
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Angus Duncan
Unregistered User
Apr 2, 00:17
Report commentI find it disgusting that Stagecoach has a monopoly in southern Fife now, the fact is that there are no operators of anywhere near the size of Stagecoach - only a few small local coach companies. Stagecoach pretty much cemented their position by purchasing Rennies and using it as a back-up fleet for their main fleet and an extra vehicle (pardon the pun) to make bids for contracts. It's an utter joke...as is Stagecoach's Chief Exec donating to the SNP - which, of course, is completely unrelated to this.
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Bob the Builder
Unregistered User
Apr 2, 00:30
Report commentWhilst staggering school start times may be a good idea, it has its drawbacks. As it is, many buses operate both a primary and secondary school run. Staggering the start time may solve some problems but may exacerbate the problem too and potentially require more buses - with additional cost.
Perhaps a better solution would be to scrap the Fife Council stipulation (not a legal requirment, simply a local choice) that all home to school transport is operated by vehicles 15/16 years old. Older buses are fully written down assets and that is reflected in the tender price. Newer buses are costlier to operate, period. Fuel will always be an increasingly expensive commodity, but I wonder if the hard-working executives have compared the tender prices pre-age limit, taking account of fuel increases, and maybe questionned their wisdom. Hmm, probably not.
Unlike cars, buses are specifically designed to operate for hundreds of thousands of miles, sometimes doing as many miles in a week as the average car may do in a month, over a much longer operational life. Dedicated school buses, of course, may only cover a dozen miles a day. That's like buying a Roller just to do the weekly shop.
Kind of surprising that some parents are quite happy to send their children to leaky, crumbling Victorian schools with 'character' yet see fit to complain about a twenty or more year old bus taking them a few miles along the road to get there. All buses still need to meet safety standards (such as 4 weekly servicing - how often is your car serviced?) and pass MOT tests. Whether all the seat trims match or not, or the paintwork is a bit flat, do the aesthetics matter? Of course not. Incidentally, what sort of identifiable 'fit for use' standard is there for older school buildings?
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Buses For People
Unregistered User
Apr 2, 10:37
Report commentJoin Buses For People campaign on Facebook
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mikeintheknow
98 posts
Apr 3, 01:00
Report commentWhy cant council move some of the route to depart and arrive at the bus station at the same time, thus making it better for passengers. ie 20mins past hour, buses from Edinburgh, Odean and QMH could arrival at 10 - 15 mins past and then passenger can transfer over, Clever idea? Here a waste of money route 80 was re timed to operate on top of D7/D3A thus you get 3 buses at night leaving Tesco at around 55mins past hour to appear at bus stance 15mins later. Has this re-enlighten the debate for high school at Oakley? it still could be done, we just bus the people from Abbeyview to Queen high :P
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Mr Rennie
Unregistered User
Apr 5, 08:37
Report commentMikeintheknow, the answer is in your first sentence as to why not. Fife council.
There's no way on God's earth that they would ever come up with anything as simple as this, let alone be a able to implement it.
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