Falkirk councillor hopes new bus owners will improve services for everyone
dailyrecord.co.ukA Falkirk councillor says she hopes that the takeover of local bus services will lead to improvements - especially for people living in the more rural parts of Falkirk district.
On September 7, First Bus announced an agreement to sell its Scotland East business and all of its routes to McGill’s Group.
The sale, which will complete later this month, includes the First Bus depots in Larbert, Bannockburn. It also includes over 200 buses which are currently operated in the region by approximately 550 staff. Read more: Falkirk swimming pools 'could close' due to high leisure costs The sale comes after months of complaints about First Bus, which came under fire for unreliable and erratic services as it struggled to get enough drivers to run its routes.The problems included 19 services that are paid for by Falkirk Council and there was an outcry when huge cuts were made to services due to rising costs combined with a lower budget.Upper Braes councillor Claire Mackie-Brown held meetings with First Bus about the impact the unreliable services were having on her constituents in some of Falkirk's most rural villages.Many were left late for work or unable to get to work and back home.As early as February this year, a petition had called for the Scottish Transport Commissioner and Falkirk Council to take action over First Bus's lack of service.It stated: "They marooned the elderly in Stenhousemuir, forced commuters from Polmont to take multiple trains to Larbert or arrive hours late and now factory workers heading to Bo'ness will struggle to get there for eight o'clock, never mind six, meaning many will have to fork out daily for expensive cabs that mean they will be earning less money than if they were out of work and on
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