School bus checks reveal shocking conditions

Nine buses were detected by police to have mechanical defects so serious they were immediately put off the road.

The discovery was made during a five-day operation with officers from Central Scotland Police’s Road Policing Unit and members of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling.
Sergeant Bob Murphy, of the force’s Collision Prevention Unit, said: “The buses were checked  while pupils were inside the safari park and those with the serious defects were immediately taken off the road. The operators then had to find an alternative buses to collect the pupils once their visit was over.”
The most serious defect was an emergency door which could not be secured shut.
Sergeant Murphy said: “The door was basically filling the hole. If somebody had leaned against it they could have fallen out and the consequences do not bear thinking about.
Braking defects, a faulty exhaust, oil leaks and a broken seat belt were among the other defects found.
Fifteen drivers were found to be working in excess of their hours or unable to prove the hours they had worked and were not allowed to resume driving until they had had a sufficient rest period.
Sergeant Murphy said: “Bus companies are given the responsibility of safely taking pupils to and from school and on school outings. It is extremely worrying that nine buses were so defective they had to be removed from the road with immediate effect.
“We want to reassure parents that we will do everything we can, along with VOSA, to make sure their children are traveling on buses that are completely roadworthy. We will continue to address this.”
Road Policing Officers also carried out checks on buses transporting pupils to local high schools. Six were found to have minor defects and were given time to have repairs carried out.
The checks were carried out between Monday June 18 and Friday June 22.

Council save Alloa Town Service 64

Earlier this month bus operator WAVE announced that they would be withdrawing the service from 3rd August. This would have meant that there would be no local bus service operating in several areas of Alloa on during Monday - Friday.
Clackmannanshire Council has decided to subsidise the service to allow the 64 to continue on Monday - Friday during the daytime.
Council Leader Gary Womersley said: "Our research shows that this is a well used service, particularly by concessionary passengers and we have received a number of letters from people who use the service who were very concerned when they heard that the operator was withdrawing.
"We were very concerned that WAVE considered it necessary to withdraw Service 64 and I am delighted that we have been able to step in. We want to ensure the most widespread bus services, for all of our communities and will continue to look at ways of safeguarding the interests of all of those that rely on public transport in the area."
"The whole issue of bus companies just unilaterally withdrawing bus services needs to be looked at by the Council - and if we need to have a complete overhaul of how the Council achieves best value for all bus passengers in Clackmannanshire - then we need to seriously consider this"
The Service 64 has an average of 730 passengers a week. In order to fund the continued Service 64, the Council will be withdrawing its subsidy from the least used service - the late evening C69 Alva - Alloa - Dollar service which has an average of 9 passengers per week
The C69 Monday-Saturday service will be amended as follows:
19:56 Dollar - Alva, will terminate in Shillinghill, Alloa at 20:24
20:57 Alva - Dollar withdrawn
21:56 Dollar - Alloa withdrawn

Causewayhead Road closure

Causewayhead Road will be closed between Cleuch Rd and Causewayhead Roundabout from Friday June 29th - JUly 5th. . During this time services which operate in this area will divert as follows:-

First Service 54/54A & 58/C58 will operate via Cleuch Rd and Dunster Rd to resume the normal route at Airthrey Rd. The same will operate in reverse.

First Service 60 , Stagecoach 23 & 78 & Mackies services will divert via the A91 and Forthside Bus priority route in both directions.

First Service 62/63 and Stagecoach 19 & 47 will operate via Cornton Rd, and Bridge of Allan.

St.Ninians Sunday diversions

Passengers are advised that due to resurfacing work on Sundays in July,  Weaver Row in St Ninians, will be closed between Borestone Crescent and Coxithill Rd. During the period of the road closure service 57 will divert from Borestone Crescent via Glasgow Rd and Barnsdale Rd.

Eastern Villages link to Forth Valley hospital

Fallin , Throsk & Cowie now have a direct link operated by Hunters Executive Coaches (for Stirling Council) to Forth Valley Hospital. There are 4 services Mon-Sat , two in the morning plus one in the afternoon, and one in the evening.

Bannockburn local reprieve

Residential areas of Bannockburn who were threatened with losing their lifeline bus service when First announced they were stopping their service 56, are now being served by WAVE service C48, an extention of the Kinbuck - Braehead service. The daytime service runs every 2 hours.

West Highland Routes return

Citylink have resumed their daily summer coach services from Edinburgh, grangemouth & Stirling to Oban & Fort William.