Anger at vital bus service cuts in North Ayrshire
Stagecoach passengers are telling us of the devastating impact of routes being axed on day to day life
Last updated 10th Jun 2022
Stagecoach cuts to vital bus services in North Ayrshire could wreak havoc on regular customers livelihoods and health.
Yesterday Stagecoach West announced they will be cutting the direct link to Glasgow for the majority of North Ayrshire towns.
The X36 service, between Ardrossan and Glasgow, and the X34 route, between Irvine and Glasgow are set to be dropped from July 17.
The services also create a direct link to the city from Dalry, Kilbirnie, Kilwinning and Beith.
Residents in the towns were taken by surprise with the announcement, with MP for the area Patricia Gibson telling West FM that she received hundreds of emails from her constituents within a matter of hours.
Panic, alarm and concern
She said: “There has been no public consultation on these proposals which will have a devastating impact on bus users across North Ayrshire.
“Hundreds of constituents have contacted me in a state of panic, alarm and concern because the severe impact this will have on their day-to-day life.
“I’ve written to the managing director of Stagecoach West asking for an urgent meeting so this matter can be further discussed, and I will be lobbying heavily for this decision to be reversed.”
Hundreds of concerned customers took to social media to vent their frustrations yesterday, and a petition to save the services has already reached 3,500 signatures.
People who regularly use the service and rely on it for work or business have been talking to West FM about the harsh impact it will have on their lives.
Frances Jackson from Beith was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2020, meaning she had her license revoked for a number of years.
She has been relying on buses to get to and from her work in Glasgow City Centre and says other routes like the train aren’t reliable or a financially reasonable option.
A dire impact on people's lives
She said: “My only means of transport to get to and from work is the buses. I have to really think how I’m going to get to work now.
“The only other way is by train, and that is nearly 3 miles from my house, and the bus service I would use to get to the train station is one of the ones being cut.”
These services aren’t just for commuting to work, it’s our direct link to Glasgow, so it has a dire impact on a lot of people’s social lives.
Gillian McMillan from Dalry uses the X36 every single day to get from her home to her dance studio in Beith.
She says the consequences of these cuts will be devastating for her business as most of her students rely on the services to get there.
She told West FM : “It’s not being over the top to say this announcement is devastating to the community and area, to the businesses and the people.
“The impact it would have on my own business would be catastrophic and would take away a lifeline to the people living in Garnock Valley.
“Some of my students come from school in Ardrossan and if they don’t have that bus they can’t come and then they don’t have their classes, which was their lifeline during the pandemic. In these days everything we’re trying to do for mental health and wellbeing especially for children, it’s just going to make it worse.”