Changes to three bus services in Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands will come into force from Sunday 10th July 2011. The 428 service Lochgilphead and Inveraray, the 422 service Ardrishaig and Lochgilphead and the 444 service Campbeltown and Southend are all affected. The routes are all funded by Argyll and Bute Council and are operated by West Coast Motors.

The 0805 journey on the 428 service Lochgilphead and Inveraray will stop on school holidays. An alternative journey is available via Scottish Citylink service 926 departing Inveraray at 0839.  Stopping this journey will save £15,540.49 a year. 

On Mondays to Fridays the five journeys serving Lochgilphead, Ross Crescent, McIntyre Terrace and MacDonald Terrace will be withdrawn from the 422 Ardrishaig and Lochgilphead service. All other journeys on this service between Ardrishaig, Lochgilphead and Mid Argyll Hospital will still run but a further change to the timetable is planned. The area served by the five journeys will have no bus service, but very few residents made use of the service. This will mean a saving of £8,147.04 to the council.

There are some time changes to the 444 service Campbeltown and Southend. On Friday and Saturday evenings the 2300 journey from Campbeltown to Southend will now depart at 2115 and the return journey from Southend to Campbeltown at 2325 will now depart at 2145. The evening service on this route will now operate to a consistent timetable Mondays to Saturdays. The time change will save £9,095.40.

Transport Spokesman Councillor Duncan MacIntyre said “I’m sorry these services have been reduced and changed. There were some difficult decisions to make on how to make savings on public transport in Argyll and Bute. I’d encourage people to look at the council’s website to make a note of the changes.”

After the School and Public Transport Review and savings agreed by the Council in February 2011 the transport budgets were reduced from £726,035 to £275,000. The decision on which council supported bus services would no longer be funded was made by the Council’s Executive in April.

Timetables at bus stop information panels on the council’s website,www.argyll-bute.gov.uk , will be updated as soon as possible. Up to date information is also available from Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.