'We can't rely on them': Bus service frustration in Inverness

Stephanie Keenan, who depends on buses for her work, said a reliable service would make a difference to her family's life

Stephanie Keenan relies on buses to get her to work in a local hotel, and home at the end of her shift.

But recently the bus service in Inverness has become increasingly unreliable, with delays and cancellations commonplace.

"I don't drive, so if the buses are cancelled in the evening I have to get a taxi, or get a lift home," the mother-of-two said.

"They can be cancelled at last minute, or they say they are coming and you are standing at the bus stop thinking 'where are they?' and you find its been cancelled."

Stephanie is one of an increasing number of bus passengers in the Highland capital who say they can no longer rely on the transport to get them around the city.

It comes after bus operator Stagecoach adjusted timetables and withdrew some routes, blaming a shortage of bus drivers.

Highland Council has since reported "significant concerns" from the public about a loss of services, and it has stepped in to cover some affected areas.

Stagecoach operates in Inverness on a commercial basis and it has increased the frequency of services between Culloden and the city centre, and extended its Hilton route.

But it has withdrawn routes affecting Ness Castle, Kingsmills, Crown and Lochardil.

Highland Council Buses has provided some services to these areas, though large parts of Inverness - home to more than 80,000 people - have no buses at all on Sundays.

Some passengers have told BBC Scotland News of their frustration at the state of the city's bus services.

Gina Thompson said she and her husband both relied on buses

Gina Thompson travels by bus to get to work, including for an evening shift.

She said: "They are cancelled constantly, and it's quite scary for a woman to be walking around at night.

"My husband is disabled and we don't have a car so he also relies on buses for transport, and to get himself to hospital appointments."

Mrs Thompson said she believed bus services were getting worse.

She said: "There are a few days when it is 'yeah, it's back on track', and then it goes back to being crazy."

Samantha Calvert said a reduced service left her spending a fortune on taxis

Samantha Calvert uses buses to get her children to and from school and nursery but in the last few weeks she says the service has deteriorated.

"They don't turn up half the time - it's frustrating," she added.

"They could do with being a bit more regular, a bit more reliable.

"They don't cover a lot of the stops I need.

"There's a bus stop that doesn't exist any more. If it did it would take a 10-minute walk off my journey every day.

"I spend a fortune on on taxis."

'Isolating and stressful'

Milton of Leys, a large and growing community at the south end of the city, had two services cut in July.

A new bus route was provided, with stops including Raigmore Hospital and the city centre.

Inshes and Milton of Leys Community Council said this service had been welcomed but it added: "It only goes once an hour, stops in early evening, is frequently cancelled, and does not run on Sundays.

"In addition, there are no direct buses to town via Hilton/Milton the most direct route, nor to the Asda shopping area and Inverness Royal Academy area which houses the closest leisure centre."

The community council said for some residents the lack of buses was "isolating and stressful".

It added: "We have had complaints from parents, those trying to get to work and college, and an independent, partially sighted 88-year-old who relies on the bus for everything including shopping."

'Driver shortage'

Lochardil was one of the areas of the city affected by Stagecoach's timetable changes

Stagecoach said the changes it had made were designed to stabilise its network and provide customers with greater reliability.

A spokesperson said: "The overriding challenge we face is the national shortage of bus drivers, which has had a particular impact in Inverness.

"By carefully adjusting some timetables, we are able to match the level of service to the resources available, helping ensure the vast majority of journeys operate as planned."

Stagecoach said staff illness or unforeseen operational issues meant it had cancelled services at short notice more times than it would have wished.

It added that it was still consistently operating around 98% of its scheduled mileage.

The company said it was focused on recruiting and retaining more drivers so it could "strengthen and grow" its network in the Highlands.

The spokesperson added: "We have no current plans to make further reductions in services.

"On the contrary, our aim is to restore and, where possible, increase coverage in Inverness over time as driver availability improves."

What services are provided by Highland Council?

Highland Council bought D&E Coaches earlier this year

Because Stagecoach operates on a commercial basis, and is not under contract to Highland Council, the local authority has no power to determine how the company runs its services.

Highland Council set up its own bus operation about three years ago, and in February it completed a deal to take over Inverness-based D&E coaches and its fleet of 60 vehicles.

The acquisition was largely to do with reducing school transport costs, but the local authority has sought to cover some of the affected routes in and around Inverness following Stagecoach withdrawals.

The council introduced a Holm Dell-Lochardil-city centre service and a service from the city centre to Crown, Raigmore Hospital, Wester Inshes, Inverness Campus and retail parks.

Carole McClymont, of Highland Council Buses, said: "We are trying to do our best and help our communities as much as our school pupils.

"We are just in our early stages of setting up Highland Council Buses and look forward to expanding."