10 March 2006

Evening bus service reinstated and revised timetable starts bus service 208 Dumbarton

Following last month's decision by bus operator First Glasgow to withdraw the service 206, certain areas in West Dunbartonshire were left without access to public transport.

To ensure a public transport link is maintained between Westcliffe, Castlehill and Dumbarton in the evenings, changes to the route and timetable of the SPT subsidised bus service 208, were agreed at Friday's Operations Committee meeting.

The local 208 bus running from Silverton to Dumbarton Town Centre will now operate a half hourly service and an hourly service to Brucehill. It will also provide a new hourly services to Westcliffe from Dumbarton Town Centre via Castlehill.

SPTA member and Deputy Provost Councillor Linda McColl was pleased that SPT moved to ensure that a local bus service would continue in the area.

She said: "The deregulation of buses allows operators to withdraw unprofitable services at any time and it falls to SPT to consider the social and economic effects of leaving local communities without access to public transport.

"SPT has limited funds available so I welcome the decision to safeguard the bus route serving Westcliffe, Castlehill and Dumbarton and would urge people to make use of the service. It is not sustainable for SPT to subsidise routes that are not being used, so use it or risk losing it."

ends