Bus services between Dumfries and Edinburgh are to be scrapped next month.
The 101/102 Stagecoach West Scotland service will be terminated on August 14 at the end of its current contract.
Regional transport group SWestrans met recently to discuss the future of contracts for bus routes across Dumfries and Galloway.
Lead officer Douglas Kirkpatrick’s report detailed the procurement for a like for like replacement for the Edinburgh route returned “an unaffordable price to all partners”.
The overall cost of the contract would have risen from £272,417 to just over £500,000 – a hike of 87 per cent.
SWestrans currently contributes £105,277 towards the contract.
The increase, combined with “extremely low” passenger usage, has led to the decision to scrap the service. Mr Kirkpatrick’s report said: “Both Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Scottish Borders Council (SBC) have attempted to replace the contract but confirm that no affordable solution has been achieved.
“Unfortunately, given this lack of an affordable solution we are not able to retain service on this route and it will terminate on August 14 when the current contract ends.
“There are some 2,958 journeys each year on this route available to passengers travelling to/from destinations outwith or within our region (1,326 outbound; 1,632 inbound).
“This gives an average usage per journey of 2.4 travelling out of the region and 2.1 travelling into the region and 3 per journey travelling within the region.
“It should be noted other local routes are available for the majority of the within region journeys (routes X74 and 246).
“This passenger usage is extremely low and any additional spend on this route is not considered appropriate.”
The report also details an alternative route for passengers by travelling on the X74 Dumfries to Glasgow Buchanan Street and then getting on the 900 bus to the capital.
Labour’s South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “The likely end of the 101 service to Edinburgh is a bitter blow to bus users across the south of Scotland.
“It is a damning indictment of the utter failure of the Green SNP Government when it comes to buses that there will be no longer be a bus link between Dumfries and our national capital from August.
“I have written to the Transport Minister Jenny Gilruith urging the Government to wake up to the crisis we face with a bus network that is being dismantled route by route. Let’s be clear this will just be one of many services that will come to an end soon unless we see additional support for bus services and an end to cuts to council funding.”
The SNP’s South Scotland MSP Emma Harper added: “I have been contacted by constituents about the decision which has been taken by SWestrans to terminate the 101 and 102 bus services from Dumfries to Edinburgh as of August 14 this year.
“I share my constituents concerns and I am working with my colleagues Christine Grahame MSP and Màiri McAllan MSP for Clydesdale to see a solution to this decision as it impacts on their areas as well.
“I encourage anyone concerned to contact my office on emma.harper.msp@parliament.scot or 01387 255334.”
