Ferry passengers in the north claim they could be left high and dry after transport operator Stagecoach announced plans to cut services to Gills Bay.
The number 77 currently retains connections with the Pentland Firth ferry crossings however, following the proposed revision of the service the northbound journey will begin and end at Keiss, withdrawing services to John O’Groats.
The current timetable allows for five daily journeys from Wick to Gills Bay during the week, enabling passengers to connect with services to Inverness.
Orkney’s MSP, Liam McArthur slammed the announcement, saying passengers would find making connections to and from the islands much more difficult.
He said: “For over a year, I have been highlighting to Stagecoach the damage caused by their last round of cuts to the bus service meeting the Gills Bay ferry. Those reductions in service made connections to and from Orkney much more difficult, if not impossible.
“It now appears that this was part of Stagecoach’s strategy all along. By making connections less convenient, Stagecoach can then point to fewer passengers using their service before then justifying the removal of the service entirely.
“This ‘death by a thousand cuts’ approach is wholly unacceptable and flies in the face of the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to increase the use of public transport.”
Stagecoach says the reason for the decision comes as the number of passengers using the service averages around three per journey.
The changes are scheduled to be put into place from August 20 across the Caithness district and consultations are ongoing.
Councillor Nicola Sinclair, who represents Wick and East Caithness, said: “It is disappointing that services to Gills Bay will be withdrawn. Stagecoach have attributed this to low use.
“However I will attend the Bus Users Group meeting taking place in Wick next week and listen carefully to the public’s views about these proposed changes.”
Daniel Laird, Commercial Director, Stagecoach North Scotland said: “We continue to face a challenging economic environment and our proposals are looking to use our resources in the best way possible. I encourage anyone with an interest in their local bus services to let us know their thoughts on our proposals before Friday 22nd June.”
