Stagecoach Highland insists sign slamming poor road conditions in Ross-shire village was put up in error

A bus company has apologised after a sign was put up at a Highland bus stop saying it was no longer in use – because of the poor road conditions.

Stagecoach Highland has moved to assure passengers that services will continue as usual in Milton Village, near Kildary.

The main road through the village is riddled with deep potholes.

A sign appeared in the bus stop which read: “Bus stop not in use until further notice due to poor road conditions causing damage to vehicles.

“Services will operate from New Milton bus stops on B817 road.”

However, Stagecoach Highland said the sign had been put up in error.

‘We apologise to our customers’

A spokeswoman for Stagecoach Highland said: “Signage was put up at the stop in error and will be removed.

“To clarify, there is no planned diversion and the stop at Milton Village will be served. We apologise to our customers in the area for any inconvenience or distress caused.”

Highland Council confirmed they were “aware of the condition of this road” but said they were limited in what they can do until the weather improves.

‘Only temporary repairs are carried out’

A spokesman for Highland Council added: “During the winter months, it is generally only temporary repairs that are carried out as for repairs to be effective we need to wait for better weather conditions and staff who would carry out this work, are the same staff that are providing a winter maintenance service seven days a week.

“Our focus remains on providing a seven days a week winter maintenance service. Once the weather improves maintenance works will be carried out in line with resources.”

Anyone who comes across potholes in the area is advised report them to the council and in the meantime refer to their pothole factsheet.

Last year, pothole machines were introduced with the hopes of improving Highland roads.

Caithness, Skye, Lochaber, Ross and Cromarty and Inverness each now have one of the JCB Pothole Pro, which are advertised as being capable of mending the average-sized pothole at half the cost and in under eight minutes.

Senior council roads engineer Andrew Turner told The P&J at the time: “So you could say this machine is a gamechanger.

“Using the Pothole Pro machine is far more efficient.

“The aspiration is that it will allow us to do more permanent pothole repairs. At the moment, we go and pour some cold tar.

“With the best will in the world, and with all the bad weather we get, it will just pop back out.”