Bus operator Stagecoach has announced it will end almost all of its bus services in Dumfries and Galloway because they are “no longer commercially viable”.
The BBC and other outlets report the bus firm said that during the tender process to run new services from August it had found a liability clause that was “far in excess of the value of the contracts”.
It has told Dumfries and Galloway Council (DGC) that it would drop all but two of its services in the region.
The report says the council has not confirmed if another operator will take over the routes. It said negotiations over the tender process were “ongoing and confidential”.
Stagecoach is quoted as saying: “We’re unfortunately unable to agree to a contract on these disproportionate terms.
“We’ve been working with the council and SWestrans to find a solution to the procurement ask, but unfortunately the liability levels required by the council have made this impossible.
“As a result, our tender submissions have been disqualified as non-compliant.”
SWestrans (The South West of Scotland Transport Partnership) is a group set up by Transport Scotland which says on its website its mission is to determine and deliver better transport.
(Picture courtesy of Stagecoach)
