SALINE and Steelend residents are hoping the power of the Press will help bring about a better bus timetable for their villages.

In 2010 angry residents, isolated by cuts to their bus service, took their “noisy” campaign of opposition to Fife Council and Stagecoach bosses.

With a petition of 500 names, they lobbied against a new timetable which restricted daytime services and cut off all evening trips to and from the outlying communities.

Residents say they continue to experience difficulties in attending school, work and medical appointments – and want to highlight the problems with the timetables.

Community council chair David Chisholm said, “When this last happened, the Press publicised it and there was a really noisy protest outside Fife Council’s offices. As a consequence Stagecoach was forced to come to a meeting with Fife Council. We’re endeavouring to have that kind of meeting again. The buses are not very frequent and it’s very difficult for people to leave the village in the morning for school or work, but most importantly to get to medical appointments at Oakley health centre.

“Sometimes it’s too early for them to get a bus or they have to spend an hour in Oakley hanging around waiting for their appointments. It’s the same coming back.

“Nobody is saying you have to run more buses, but we want a conversation about how we can adjust the timing of the buses so people can get to work or school or health appointments.” As an example, he said service 6 does not run between 8.30am and 9.30am, while the last bus to Dunfermline leaves at 7pm.

Mr Chisholm said Stagecoach had not responded to the community council’s request to attend a meeting. He added, “We can’t instruct private sector companies to come and meet us. People are resentful that other small communities seem to benefit from subsidised buses, but Fife Council will be looking to save money, not spend it.” Fife Council said it was aware that there had been issues since the changes to the timetable in August last year.

Spokesman Derek Beveridge said, “Fife Council currently subsidise the number 6 bus service in the evening and on Sundays.

“Following the return of the tender for South Fife local bus services we are now in the final stages of the tender process for the new supported bus network, due to start in August 2015.

“It is hoped that an improvement to the service in the evenings can be implemented following the comments received during the consultation period carried out in summer 2014.

“With regards to the current daytime timetable, operated commercially by Stagecoach, we are happy to raise concerns with the bus company in response to local discussions.

“In the meantime, on schooldays when service 6 does not operate, passengers can use the school bus service R25 for travel to Dunfermline. Timetable details for service R25 can be obtained by contacting Traveline Scotland on 0871 200 22 33.” A spokesperson for Stagecoach East Scotland said, “Service 28 operates directly from Saline to Queen Margaret Hospital up to five times a day and is operated on behalf of Fife Council.

“A more regular alternative option available to customers would be to travel on service 6 from Saline to Dunfermline Bus Station before then continuing their journey on regular Services 9, 10 or 11. This alternative operates Mondays to Saturdays with Service 9 also operating on a Sunday.

“These timetables have been in place since August 2014 and although we have no immediate plans for any revisions to these services, some changes to a number of timetables in West Fife are likely in August 2015 as a result of revised Fife Council local bus service tenders which are due to be awarded shortly.”