Protest staged along threatened Dumfries to Edinburgh bus route

A protest has been staged along the route of a bus service due to be discontinued in about six weeks' time.

Campaigners say the Dumfries to Edinburgh service is a "vital link" for the communities it serves.

They staged a protest at a number of stops along the route to try to avoid it being taken away.

The councils involved in funding the service are in discussions and have said they are committed to finding a solution.

The 101/102 service runs between south west Scotland and the capital, and serves a number of towns and villages including West Linton, Biggar and Moffat.

The current contract with Stagecoach West Scotland ends on 13 August.

A new deal has not been awarded which has been blamed on a sharp rise in the proposed costs of running the service.

An online petition has gathered thousands of signatures and now a demonstration is planned.

"This has just landed on communities in the last few days," said West Linton resident Ian Reid.

"What has become clear is that the bus service is at serious risk of being removed in six weeks' time.

"There has been no formal notification, no community consultation."

An online meeting of groups affected discussed the impact at the weekend.

Barry Knock, who chairs Quothquan and Thankerton Community Council, said the effect on the viability of their rural community would be significant.

He said there was a "great deal" of anger about the "loss of this vital link".

A statement from Dumfries and Galloway Council - one of the local authority areas affected - said it understood and shared the concerns.

It said it was working with the local transport partnership Swestrans, which it funds, to find a solution.

The statement added that the procurement process had seen a proposed cost increase of 86% which was unacceptable.

However, co-leaders Linda Dorward and Stephen Thomson said they were in talks with all current funding partners and the local authorities in Midlothian and Edinburgh to try to find a solution.

A statement from current operators Stagecoach said the financial environment and travel patterns were "completely different" from the last time the service was tendered in 2018.

It said the impact of Covid on passenger numbers, high inflation and rising fuel prices had all increased underlying costs.

It added that the previous contract had failed to cover its operating costs by "several million pounds" and said no local authority could sustain that level of financial strain.

However, it said it was happy to work with councils to deliver sustainable bus services.