Cuts to rural transport subsidies planned

Highland Council has put forward plans to save £500,000 by cutting subsidies for some rural public transport routes.

It has proposed terminating seven services because of their high costs and low passenger numbers.

They include the evening bus service between Wick and Dunbeath. Routes with higher numbers of passengers may be handed over to commercial operators.

At a meeting on Thursday councillors will also be recommended to put other services under further review.

Transport committee chairman John Laing said the authority was not getting good value for money.

He said one example was a service in Muir of Ord that costs almost £100 per passenger to run.