The 101/102 bus service between Dumfries and Edinburgh is due to be withdrawn on 14 August 2022 as a result of funding cuts and increasing running costs. This is being done without any prior consultation with the affected communities which rely on the service. If the bus service is withdrawn the communities along the A702 will lose their only public transport links with Edinburgh and Dumfries and with each other. 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.
The petition has been organised by the Stand Up for Our Buses campaign and asks the transport authorities which currently provide the main subsidies for the route (SWESTRANS for Dumfries and Galloway, SPT for South Lanarkshire and Scottish Borders Council) to ensure the continuation of this route.
You can sign by clicking HERE
Speaking about the possible cessation of the 101/102 service from Dumfries to Edinburgh, Co-Leaders of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Cllr Stephen Thomson and Cllr Linda Dorward issued the following statement:
“We understand that there are concerns about the future of the current 101/102 service from Dumfries to Edinburgh. We share these concerns but want to reassure local people that Dumfries and Galloway Council and SWestrans are proactively trying to find solutions.
“Currently, SWestrans, SPT and Scottish Borders Council fund the 101 / 102 service. Following a procurement exercise, the proposed 86% increase in costs to continue the service as per the current timetable from August 2022 are unacceptable and far outweigh the available funding. This means that the current service would end on 14 August when the contract ends.“We are committed to doing all we can to find a solution so that this doesn’t happen.
“We recognise how important it is for our local communities and for our economy to have this service running from our region to the national capital. That is why SWestrans remains fully committed to providing the current funding of some £105k each year for this service.
“We want a collective solution between all the partners to be found. We are pleased that SPT has brought all the current funding partners and some new local authorities (Midlothian and the City of Edinburgh) together to discuss this important transport route and what we can do in partnership to address this situation. A further meeting will be taking place on Friday.
“Ahead of that meeting, we will be writing to all the organisations who are attending on Friday to ask them to look at their current funding arrangements and whether new sources of funding can be identified.
“We have a shared responsibility to provide services to local people that they can depend upon. We will work with our partners to try and find a solution so that we may continue to provide the 101/102 service.”
