MSP to join Elgin bus-stop protesters
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A LABOUR MSP will join an Elgin bus-stop protest this week over an axed bus service.
David Stewart will join campaigners this Friday at Bishopmill Primary School bus stop after a funding plea to the first minister was knocked back.
Elgin Community Council had sent a letter requesting a share of a new £500 million fund set up to encourage bus travel – in the hope of reinstating the 340/341 bus.
Brakes were put on the service – mainly used by the elderly – in early September after developer contributions from Scotia Homes and Robertson Homes ran dry.
A bus policy officer replied this week on Nicola Sturgeon's behalf, saying that the bus travel fund will not be available until next year. The reply adds the bus industry in Scotland operates in an open market and local authorities have a duty to identify if there is a social need for particular services and can subsidise, "but this is entirely at their discretion".
Mr Stewart said: "I too have had a knock-back when I approached the Transport Secretary Michael Matheson for funding support for this bus, but I am determined to keep the campaign going for these people who’ve been left out in the cold.
"The first minister and Moray Council both seem to be washing their hands of this issue, but that’s no comfort to the passengers who rely on this bus service to get them out of the house on a daily basis, so they can stay active and continue to be a part of the community."
Last month Mr Stewart handed the campaigners' near 500-name petition to Mr Matheson. He is continuing discussions with the Scottish Government, Moray Council, Stagecoach and other key groups.
Bus campaigner Sara Marsh described the Scottish Government response as "pathetic".
"The response hasn’t even come from Nicola Sturgeon," she said. "It’s come from an officer who she’s passed the buck to. This officer says we should approach Moray Council or Stagecoach for funding. Does he think we’re stupid? Doesn’t he realise we’ve not already tried that? I thought it was a pathetic reply."
The council has said it cannot afford to fund external bus routes.
However, Mrs Marsh believes it has a duty to do more and has vowed to continue pressing the council to negotiate funding from the housing developers behind the Duffus Heights scheme and hundreds more homes which are planned for Findrassie.
She added: "If the council is allowing planners to build hundreds of homes it should come with a requirement that there is bus infrastructure in place – otherwise they’re cutting off the south side where there’s lots of affordable housing and shared housing units for the elderly. New developments need public transport in the same way that they require street lighting, refuse collection, etc."
Douglas Clark, of Elgin Community Council, said: "We were a bit despondent after reading the Scottish Government’s reply – but we’re not giving up.
"The plan, with agreement from the community council, is to get another letter back to the first minister saying how disappointed we are with the first letter, and what we wanted was some recognition that this bus is much more than just a mode of transport.
"An elderly gentleman who passed by while I was out in the garden the other day told me he’s really missing the company because that’s where he met all his pals. Another woman who’s a wheelchair user was saying she’s having to get taxis now because there’s never a space available on the Dial-A-Bus. There’s either no service at the time she needs or no wheelchair space. We need to keep pressing hard for this. The fight will go on."
The protesters will meet at 11am on Friday.
