Moffat townsfolk launch bus petition

FURIOUS Moffat residents have launched a petition against controversial changes to the 74 bus route to Dumfries.

More than 300 people within the town have signed the petition calling on Dumfries and Galloway Council to restore the early morning service from Moffat to Dumfries after it was eliminated when Stagecoach withdrew from the region earlier this month.

The petition has accused the council of ‘leaving commuters in the lurch’ as the new timetables show that the earliest X74 bus leaving Moffat heading towards Dumfries will depart Moffat High Street at 9 am on weekdays, while the earliest 101 service will leave at 11.50 am.

Previously, the 74 service would have departed Dumfries at 6.55 am and arrived in Moffat at 7.40 am, making a return journey to Dumfries by 8.30 am.

The loss of the morning service has also impacted students travelling to the Barony and Dumfries for college and university.

Mum Andrea Jane Davis-Grierson told the Moffat News this week: “My daughter, along with many other children, need to get to the college in Dumfries and now there is no early bus since they withdrew, making everyone arriving late into class/work.

“It will be well after ten in the morning now before they arrive. Some of the parents have contacted Stagecoach and SWESTRANS and they don’t seem to be interested, saying they have a bus leaving Moffat at 9 am now and they are looking at other options.

“Them withdrawing this early route bus has a significant impact on the people in this area that relied on this bus to get to their work and college.”

The petition was started by former Moffat and District community councillor Donald Kerner who has taken a personal interest in the cause.

He said: “This becomes personal for me as I have friends in Moffat and Parkgate, and my mum relied on the morning 74 bus every day.

“It was a staple in our community, allowing people like my mum, who recently returned to full-time work after the pandemic, to commute efficiently. This route’s absence has disrupted her routine and added unnecessary stress.

“She has been told that because of this, despite it not being her fault, that if she is unable to make it on time, then she is likely to lose her job - with no shift switches available.

“The removal of this service comes at an unfortunate time and highlights a gap in the transportation network that the council must address urgently. Reliable public transportation is not a convenience for many; it is a necessity.

“I urge the council and operators to take immediate action to reintroduce this essential service. Timely and accessible transportation should be a priority, enabling residents to maintain their livelihoods and daily routines without undue hardship.”

Speaking in a meeting about the bus situation, Annandale South Councillor Sean Marshall said, “Across our region, communities have been left with poorer services – and in some cases, no service at all.

“We need to fight for a bus network that works for every community.”

To sign the petition visit: https://www.change.org/p/restore-the-74-bus-morning-service-3a828494-b231-40c1-b43e-1a4a478bf8a1?source_location=search