Forres bus service to Findhorn and Kinloss may be replaced by Moray Council
Bus users whose service to the nearest town is about to be cut could be offered a glimmer of hope.
Stagecoach is axing the five-mile run connecting Findhorn and Kinloss to Forres, with the last bus running on Saturday, August 17.
However Moray Council will consider several alternatives when it next meets on Tuesday.
The local authority could use its own m.connect minibus service.
Passengers currently have to book this at least an hour in advance to arrange door-to-door transport. But a weekday service following a regular timetable to and from Forres could be put in place by October.
This would cost an estimated £29,500 annually, but would depend on vehicle availability and the recruitment of more drivers.
Meanwhile, the council already has plans to introduce a coastal minibus from Lossiemouth to Findhorn, passing through Hopeman, Burghead, Roseisle and Kinloss.
Therefore, a second option would see that route extended to include Forres as its final destination, although this would not come into force until spring next year.
Donald MacRae, a council transport officer, stated that running rural bus services is “challenging” in his report to Tuesday’s meeting.
Dispersed communities mean greater distances between people’s homes and the shops and services they need. Compared to urban areas, it also means higher costs for operators.
Mr MacRae said: “Despite a clear desire across national and local policy-makers to see public transport use increase, the aspiration is challenging to meet – most especially in rural areas.”
Stagecoach is still running buses from Elgin to Burghead, via Duffus and Hopeman.
But the company says the section that continues through Kinloss and Findhorn to Forres is being cut because it is not commercially viable.
Between September and May an average of 128 passengers a day travelled that section.
This works out at just five passengers per journey, with four of them travelling for free because they are cardholders aged over 60 or under 22.
The Scottish Government currently reimburses bus operators for carrying cardholders at 56.9% of an adult single fare. That rate has gradually dropped from 73.6% when it was originally set in 2006.
