Today is the last chance to take part in Edinburgh’s “save our bus now” survey to determine the future of a crucial 101/2 Dumfries to Edinburgh bus service.
After winning a “stay of execution” for the vital bus link, community campaigners are asking bus route users to take part in an independent survey to build their case for the long term funding of the route.
Writing on Twitter, Colin Smyth MSP for South Scotland said: “Your views will help shape future options."
“Today by 5pm is the last chance to take part in [the Save Our Bus Now] survey on the future of the 101/102 Dumfries to Edinburgh bus.”
“We really need as many people as possible to complete it,” said campaigner Janet Moxley.
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“The service has been saved until March, but [SWESTRANS public transport] will soon be putting out a tender for the service beyond 31 March. We will be meeting with them in a couple of weeks time, and it would really help to have a good idea of bus use patterns.”
Edinburgh residents as well as those working and living in Midlothian , the Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway will be impacted by any potential 101/2 bus service cuts.
Campaigners have been fighting to keep the Dumfries to Edinburgh service since July when SWESTRANS, which is one of seven Regional Transport Partnerships in Scotland, announced the service would be axed at the end of the summer.
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“If the bus service is withdrawn the communities along the A702 will lose their only public transport links with Edinburgh and Dumfries and with each other,” Janet stated on the petition.
“This would have dire consequences for our rural communities, and particularly for the elderly and less mobile who depend on the bus to access shops and other vital services.”
Janet’s petition garnered more than 8,000 signatures in a matter of weeks, and many local politicians and councillors lent support to the cause.
As a result, SWESTRANS U-turned on its decision, and provided further funding for the Edinburgh-Dumfries bus route, guaranteeing that the service would run until at least March 2023.
“We’re not out of the woods yet and will keep you posted on developments, but this is a much better situation than we were in a couple of weeks ago,” Janet said of the update.
Now, the “Save Our Bus” campaigners are wrapping up the two week survey about bus use patterns and habits.
“We have commissioned a short survey from an independent market research organisation and would like to hear from you whether you stay along the route or whether you visit this area and whether or not you use the bus regularly,” Janet said in an update.
The regional transport partner previously cited a mix of low passenger numbers and rising costs as part of its decision to cut the route earlier this year.
Edinburgh Live previously reported that the overall cost of the contract would have risen from £272,417 to just over £500,000 – a hike of 87 per cent.
The bus user’s survey is available here.
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