Jamie Stone calls for Scottish Government to restore faith in local bus services
North MP Jamie Stone has voiced concern about the decline in local bus services despite a report revealing that the region has an increase in usage.
Figures published by Transport Scotland for its 2020 report show that the Highlands and Islands has seen the biggest decline of local bus service use in all of Scotland in the past five years. This is despite the number of passenger journeys increasing in the region by 14 per cent between 2019 and 2020.
Commenting on the statistics, Mr Stone said: “The evidence confirms what my constituents have been telling me for years: our local bus services are in decline.
“Passengers want frequency, reliability and convenience but rather than improving quality and encouraging more people to use the bus, many services are being reduced or cut altogether. And this is despite the fact we’re the only region to see an increase in bus usage! So the demand is there, but the supply simply isn’t.
“Highlanders want and need a functioning bus service, but they’re being treated as an afterthought. The Scottish Government’s own statistics must serve as a wakeup call – one they have ignored for too long. They must improve bus service provision in the Highlands and restore people’s faith in the service.”
According to the data from Transport Scotland, vehicle kilometres for local bus services have fallen 13 per cent in the last five years in the Highlands and Islands – the biggest drop of any Scottish region.
Meanwhile, South East Scotland – which covers Edinburgh – has seen bus route distances increase by 10 per cent; this is despite bus usage in the South East falling by six per cent in the past five years.
Passenger journeys increased by 14 per cent between 2019 and 2020 in the Highlands and Islands. It was the only region in Scotland to see an increase in the use of bus services for that year.
Transport for Scotland defines the Highlands and Islands as including the following areas: Highland, Orkney, Shetland, Moray, Argyll and Bute, and Eilean Siar.
