Public transport services in Dumfries and Galloway are set for a shake-up after being heavily criticised in a council report.
A new sustainable model of operation is being sought because the current set-up is “disjointed, inefficient, costly and difficult to navigate for individuals”.
Those are the words of Douglas Kirkpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway Council’s transportation manager, who has been working hard to try and improve travel for the region’s residents.
He produced a report for the council’s communities committee where councillors discussed a revised partnership approach to operating buses across the region.
Public transport is currently a complex mixture of commercially provided and public funded services, with each linked to the other.
Mr Kirkpatrick told councillors: “I have spoken with the bus operators and there’s a realisation out there that this whole model needs to change.
“We’re suggesting this new partnership model is the way forward. I think we’ve got full buy-in from the operators, certainly the local bus operators at this time.”
The plan is to continue using private bus companies in the most cost-effective way and, where council buses or other operators are being under-utilised, a co-ordinated partnership should be developed to maximise usage and deliver a more sustainable network.
Where no bus service exists, responsive solutions should be developed and operated by third sector community transport operators, council buses and the community.
SWestrans, the group set up in Dumfries by Transport Scotland to deliver better services, will be a lead partner with the council in transitioning from the current model to the new one.
Councillor Andrew Wood, chairman of SWestrans, said: “We’ve had some really robust and positive discussions.
“I honestly believe that our team within SWestrans can build on the work they’ve done to date and I’m very much hoping that we will be seen as a pilot scheme in the future.”
Dee and Glenkens Councillor Dougie Campbell said: “It really is quite worrying that we have a ‘disjointed, inefficient, costly and difficult to navigate for individuals’ transportation model.
“It strikes me that the Scottish Government will have to respond to the Climate Assembly recommendation on transportation, and we really need to look at that closely too.
“If we were to go right back to the drawing board and try to create the ideal transportation model for Dumfries and Galloway, what would it look like?
“We need to have a lot of creative thinking and innovation and I hope that SWestrans can play their full part in that.
“At the moment our transportation system is dysfunctional but I think the time is coming where there’s going to be opportunities to address that through what’s happening nationally.
Councillors agreed that moving to the new public transportation model is to be phased in from April, 2022, to March, 2024, and that regular reports are presented to both Dumfries and Galloway Council and the SWestrans board.
