Issue - meetings

Opportunity for verbal updates by Cowal Transport Forum Members

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Valerie Edmonson enquired why the Dial a Bus service was withdrawn.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.