Transport giant Citylink has agreed to review its controversial decision to cutback a “crucial” rural Perthshire bus service.
The company has been criticised for reducing runs between Birnam and Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness from 10 to just three a day.
Locals mounted a campaign to save the service and this week met with Citylink representatives to deliver a petition with more than 800 signatures.
At the end of the meeting, operations director David Frenz assured that the firm would consider reinstating one southbound coach in the morning and northbound run leaving Edinburgh in early evening.
A spokeswoman for the Save Our Birnam Buses group said: “Mr Frenz could not promise that there would be any changes.
“We said that we were not going away in terms of the campaign and he recognised this.”
She said campaigners were willing to take their case to the Scottish Parliament if necessary.
A Scottish Citylink spokeswoman said: “We met with residents from Birnam to explain the reasons behind our recent timetable changes in the area.
“We understand the points that were made at the meeting and we have agreed to look again at the options regarding links to Birnam and Dunkeld at particular times of the day.”
She added: “However, it is important to bear in mind that only around two people per day were using our previous services to and from Birnam, which simply could not be maintained.
“There continue to be other public transport services a available in the area which allow customers to link into the Scottish Citylink network in Perth.”
The service was reduced last November.
Citylink was given examples of why the link was so important to several locals.
Among those who used it regularly was 79-year-old Christine Robertson, from Birnam.
She said she travels to Edinburgh every week to visit her sister in a nursing home.
Now the journey takes more than four hours and uses just as many buses.
