PUBLIC TRANSPORT
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PUBLIC TRANSPORT
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PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Opportunity for verbal updates by Cowal Transport Forum Members
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Minutes:
Public Transport
Mr Breslin highlighted
his disappointment that the Council’s Public Transport Officer was not in
attendance. Mr Breslin advised that South Cowal Community Council had raised the same issues of the 489
bus service for 30 months and nothing had changed, despite repeated attempts to
engage with Officers and elected members.
Councillor Moreland advised that he and Councillor Hampsey had spoken to West Coast Motors regarding this
issue and that he would provide South Cowal Community
Council with an update at their meeting scheduled for the evening of 13
September.
West Coast Motors
Neil Stewart advised of a minor service change as a
consequence of the return of schools in August; the start of the new Tighnabruaich area contracts and introduction of new
vehicles; the amended 489 services to meet ferries in the afternoon; the minor
service changes due to the change of the Calmac and Scotrail timetables, to ensure the connections are met in
the morning and that the Pingo service continues to
operate well.
Mr Stewart highlighted that they are
operating at 88% of mileage (excluding Tighnabruaich) and carrying 79% of passengers compared to pre-covid level, adding that the biggest gap remains
concessions which are only at 65.7% compared to 2019.
Valerie Edmonson enquired
why the Dial a Bus service was withdrawn.
Mr Stewart advised that if the Council wished to
reintroduce this service West Coast Motors can block the service off for
exclusive use only however this would likely result in a drop in overall
patronage.
Kerris Bone asked when bus times for Ardentinny to Dunoon and Innellan would be
changing back to pre-covid times, advising that young
people are using the Pingo service due to the lack of
buses running at certain times. Ms Bone added that the lack of bus services was
also causing problems for people getting to and from places of employment.
Mr Stewart advised that services to Dunoon up until 7.50pm are back to pre-covid
and that he is not aware of plans for further changes.
Kirstie Reid asked if West Coast Motors would offer
additional services for the Tuesday of Inveraray
Games and for the Saturday of Cowal Games. Mr Stewart
advised that if they are aware of these events in advance they could offer
additional services.
Mr Breslin advised that
the bus timetables in many cases do not make it in time for the ferry and
people may not be using them because of this and that the service needs to get
back to the pre-pandemic levels which may increase the use of the services.
Outcome
The Forum:
1.
noted the update from West Coast
Motors; and
2.
noted that the Committee Manager
would contact the Public Transport Officer in relation to the Dial a Bus being
reinstated.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
(SPT)
Allan Comrie advised that
there had been changes to the Carrick Castle timetable due to change of school
times; that Scotrail had committed to advising Calmac of any rail timetable changes; the removal of peak
fares on the rail services would begin in October for a period of 6 months and
that the concessionary fares for ferries and trains continue to be frozen until
at least April 2024.
Tom Murray,
Lochgoilhead Community Council, advised that the Helensburgh to Carrick bus
service had been changed in the afternoon bringing it forward by half an hour
with very little notice to the community and that the timetable in the shelter
at Lochgoilhead had not been changed.
Kirstie Reid advised that the change of timetable
for the ferry and train times to align had resulted in them being too close
together meaning that it is more than likely travellers will not make their
connection. Kirstie asked for improved communication between Scotrail and Calmac to ensure
customers have enough time to make their onward connections.
Councillor Sinclair highlighted that he had spoken
to Calmac and had been advised that very little
communication had come from Scotrail regarding the
change to the timetable and that Calmac had done as
much as they could to try and align their timetable.
Outcome
1.
noted the update from SPT; and
2.
noted that Councillor Sinclair
would enquire with Calmac and Scotrail
whether further changes to the timetables would be possible to ensure customers
can make onward connections.
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PUBLIC TRANSPORT
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