Ullapool residents demand better on buses as lifeline links leave some 'snookered'
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WESTER Ross residents rocked by the impending closure of a local bank branch and reduced access to health services are putting their foot down over bus links.
Ullapool folk are campaigning for reliable, year-round services to Inverness and Dingwall in light of the impending closure of the local Bank of Scotland branch, forcing many to travel to Inverness for services.
The concern follows the closure of Mo Dhachaidh care home, reduced post office hours and a lack of dental services making bus links more important than ever for locals forced to travel 45 to 60 miles each way to Dingwall and Inverness.
There are only two public transport services from Ullapool to Inverness. The 961 Citylink bus, which during spring and summer is often fully booked with tourists days in advance, is also a connecting service with the Stornoway–Ullapool ferry, meaning it can be delayed for over an hour waiting for the Lewis ferry.
The other is D&E's 61 Ullapool–Dingwall–Inverness bus. The bus timetable is often unaccessible or hard to locate and following a change of contract only the bus only runs on school days.
Joan Michael who has been campaigning for better bus services, said: "Ullapool does not have a bus service, the High School does and Stornoway does. Ullapool residents wanting to go to Inverness for the day have to rely on the school being open or the ferry being on time.
"Since the change of contract, the 61 D&E Coaches bus operates on school days only, excluding holidays and in–service days – and on Fridays you can go to Inverness at 12.55pm – but there is no 61 bus back to Ullapool on the same day.
"The Citylink 961 bus, which you have to pre–book, goes directly to Inverness and back daily – but it is timed to meet the ferry, if the ferry is late getting in to Ullapool the bus waits for it.
"If you have an appointment in Inverness, as more people will now that there is no dentist in Ullapool, and you miss the bus, then you're snookered – and you might well have to pay the cost of the missed appointment. You are also snookered if you have connecting travel plans booked, such as flights or trains.
"So, we say to all our elected representatives and to council and government officials – please make our voices heard and acted upon. We want our 61 bus service to be available Monday to Friday all year round as it was before the previous contract was ended.
"We deserve better than we have just now."
Councillor Liz Kraft said: "For several years this service has been built around a contract we awarded for school transport from Braemore to Ullapool. In the previous contract, Stagecoach chose to operate the service from Inverness–Ullapool on a commercial basis, including school holidays.
"I had the same enquiry some time ago, and contacted D&E who said that they are not able to operate it on school holidays, this is a commercial decision by the company. I regret that due to the council’s budgetary position, I am not able to arrange for a reinstatement of a school holiday service."
In reference to the 961 bus, which connects with the Stornoway–Ullapool ferry, Citylink was asked how long the bus will wait if the ferry is late. A Citylink spokesperson said: “I can confirm that the coach should wait as this is a connecting service with the Ullapool ferry.”
