- Increased frequency for the Loaning in Ayr
- Service 3 to serve Whitletts Road Tesco, Ayr
- Route change on service 60 to serve key destinations in Maybole
Stagecoach West Scotland is inviting customers, community groups and local authorities across Ayrshire to provide feedback on new bus timetable proposals planned to commence in August 2017.
The timetable changes are being proposed due to a significant change in the pattern of demand for bus services. This change in demand is caused by a variety of reasons including internet shopping, town centre decline, home working, lower motoring costs and increasing traffic congestion making it harder to run punctual bus services.
A summary of the service changes are as follows:
Changes to services 1, 8 and 9 in South Ayr
These services, whilst providing a vital link for some, are lightly used.
It is proposed to operate a combined hourly service 1 from Hillfoot/Masonhill to Ayr with the bus serving Glencairn Road rather than Calendonia Road. Doonfoot would be served from Ayr on an hourly basis by the 9.
The service 8 which currently serves The Loaning from Ayr would be withdrawn and replaced by diverting the 58/60 via The Loaning on a half hourly basis providing The Loaning with twice as many journeys compared to the current service 8.
Service 14
Due to traffic congestion in Prestwick an additional bus will be introduced on the service 14 from 5th June 2017, at a cost of £120,000 per annum. This should greatly improve the punctuality of this service in the short term but will also undermine its longer term viability. Therefore, from August 2017 the 14 will operate on a half hourly basis between Ayr,Troon and Barassie but will not serve Monkton or Irvine. A separate hourly service will be launched between Troon and Irvine.
Services 2 and 3
It is proposed that the 2 which runs from Dalmilling to Asda via Ayr and Prestwick Cross would terminate at Hayhill at the junction with Mainholm Road.
Dalmilling would be served by the service 3 every 12 minutes and it is proposed that, rather than travelling via Whitletts Road, it will travel via Westwood Avenue and Mainholm Road. This will provide the residents of Dalmilling with a new direct link to a major supermarket (Tesco) and the town centre without having to travel via Hayhill and Craigie.
Services 42, 43 & 43A
These are the routes where we have seen the greatest level of decline in the last 2-3 years and it is here where we have to take action to reduce the level of resource to match the current level of demand.
It is proposed that the 30 minute frequency between Drongan and Ayr will remain however only one bus an hour will continue beyond Drongan to Ochiltree and Cumnock. The route from Cumnock to Muirkirk will remain on an hourly frequency.
It is proposed that the 30 minute frequency between Tarbolton and Ayr will remain however only one bus an hour will continue beyond Tarbolton to Mauchline, Catrine and Cumnock. The route from Cumnock to New Cumnock will remain on an hourly frequency.
The 43A runs every half an hour and carries very few passengers not served by the 43 service. Therefore, our proposal is to reduce the bus service from Annbank to hourly.
Services 58/60
In order to address issues with punctuality on the 58/60 service, and to allow the addition to the route of Doonholm Road and The Loaning, route and journey time changes are required.
Due to low passenger demand between Maybole and Kirkoswald it is proposed that Culzean will no longer be served. Instead the 60 will return to the A77 and progress through Maybole to Kirkoswald. This will give a large number of residents in Maybole access to a bus service for the first time.
X77 Service
We are proposing to amend the X77 to an easy to understand 20 minute frequency from Ayr between 0610 and 0810hrs and then a half hourly service throughout the rest of the day.
The company is encouraging customers to review the timetable proposals and share their thoughts, whether in support of the revisions, highlighting any concerns or sharing any suggestions they may have. Customers can view proposed timetables and can share their opinions via our online survey form or by attending one of our public consultation events which are being held at the following locations:
Dumfries Arms Hotel, Cumnock, Tuesday 6th June 2017, 1pm – 7pm.
Ayr Town Hall, Ayr, Friday 9th June 2017, 1pm – 6pm
Henrietta Street Hall, Girvan, Tuesday 13th June 2017, 11am – 1pm
The Carrick Centre, Maybole, Tuesday 13th June 2017, 2.30pm – 6.30pm
Tom Bridge, Managing Director, Stagecoach West Scotland said: "We have seen some big changes in our customers travel patterns in the last 2 years because of things like internet shopping, working from home and traffic congestion in our towns and cities. We have to adapt to these changes and that is why we are consulting on these proposals. We want our customers and other local stakeholders to help us shape a network of services in South & East Ayrshire that best serves the current and future needs of local workers, students, job seekers, retired people and visitors."