THE bus service in West Fife is "notoriously inadequate" but villagers would get on board with a passenger hub on the A985.

That's the view of Conservative councillor Conner Young who said an interchange off the trunk road would greatly improve transport links and make life easier for locals.

The idea is that express buses going east and west – and Fife Council are hoping to see a new fast service between Dunfermline and Stirling – would connect with smaller coaches going north and south of the A985, to places like Blairhall, Oakley, Saline, Culross, Torryburn and Valleyfield.

Cllr Young, who represents the West Fife and Coastal Villages, told the Press: “If there was to be a new bus hub on the A985, the people of the villages would find it much less difficult to get where they need to be by bus.

"This would alleviate some of the issues surrounding bus travel in the area as the West Fife villages have a notoriously inadequate bus service as things stand.

"A hub on the A985 would significantly improve the situation, as it would allow smaller, more localised buses to connect with the larger buses going to Dunfermline and beyond.

"This would allow smaller more localised routes around the area and allow the residents an easier way to get where they need to be without having to take three or four buses.”

A bus hub and an express service between Dunfermline and Stirling were two of the 100 proposed actions included on Fife Council's draft local transport strategy 2023-33.

A final version is due in the summer.

Labour councillor Graeme Downie, who also represents the West Fife and Coastal Villages, said the re-opening of the West Fife rail link to Alloa would also make a "huge difference" to the public transport offering in his ward.

John Mitchell, head of roads and transportation at the council, said at a recent meeting that there was an "aspiration for a bus interchange near High Valleyfield" and that talks had taken place with Transport Scotland.

He added: "On the rail side there's been a huge amount of work done with Transport Scotland and we've been in discussions about extending the existing Alloa to Kincardine railway line and that's all related to the redevelopment of Longannet."