27 June 2008
SPT funds new North Lanarkshire bus service
Service 117 to link Townhead and Coatbridge
Today (27 June) members of the Operations Committee approved funding for a new bus service to run between Townhead and Coatbridge.
This service is intended to plug the gap in the current bus service provision. Due to timetable changes by the previous bus operator, Townhead estate residents have no bus service until 8am in the morning and after 5pm in the evening.
The new service is set to start on Monday 14 July 2008 and will be operated by Henderson Travel for the next year. It will extend morning and evening travel times by running between 7.00am and 8.00am and between 5.25pm and 6.50pm, Monday to Saturday.
SPT Vice Chair and local member David Fagan welcomed the new contract award saying: "We’ve been made aware of how poorly this area is served by commercial operators at the start and end of the day. Residents are effectively left stranded and we can’t allow this situation to continue.
"People have to be able to get to work in the morning and home again at night by public transport.
"I would urge them to make good use of the new service because SPT doesn’t have unlimited funds to subsidise buses. The contract will be up for review at the end of the contract period and passenger levels have to be good enough to justify the continued subsidy.
"Good public transport connections are important – whether the journey is for work, education or leisure purposes."
ends