Dundee bus boss Ralph Roberts has promised passengers better times ahead after apologising for “horrific” disruption to city services.
City passengers have struggled with unreliable and cancelled services for months.
Mr Roberts said he wanted to let passengers know the situation is improving.
He said: “It’s getting better. We feel your pain, but it’s getting better.
“We are not happy either. The disruption we’ve had to services has been horrific.
“From January through to the beginning of March – really to two weeks ago – has been off the chart.
“I would apologise to the people of Dundee for that experience.”
Mr Roberts is the chief executive officer of Greenock-based McGill’s Buses, which bought Xplore Dundee in 2020.
He is also running Xplore Dundee on a temporary basis while the company recruit for a new managing director.
Previous city bus boss Christine McGlasson, in post since 2018, recently left the company.
The firm announced an emergency city timetable at the start of March in a bid to improve poor reliability.
Mr Roberts said Covid-19 had badly affected staffing.
“There’s no point in saying we’re going to try when every day you’re getting more people phoning in saying they’re positive.
“We’re trying to run a service and we’ve got 7,8,10,12 bodies missing.
“You’ve got real time indicators up there saying a bus is due and the bus doesn’t turn up.
“It’s frustrating. Horrendous for people. So I would apologise to people in Dundee that went on for so long.”
Mr Roberts said the company now has a “grip” on the situation, offering a timeline for the return of services to the same level as last year.
He said: “Right now, we’re running Saturday frequencies.
“That’s to allow us to regroup with staff. It was always intended to be a short-term thing.
“So within the next two or three weeks the frequencies will go back up to where they were from January with the idea that by July /August they’ll be going back to where they were in November last year.
“Back to 100% in other words.
Mr Roberts asked Dundee passengers to “bear with him.”
“They will get more frequent buses in the next few weeks. The key thing is they will be reliable.
“They need to be there when we say they will be there.”
