Repeated cancellations on the X7 Stagecoach coastal bus has left north-east youngsters “stranded and unsafe”, says a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament.
Hamish Fraser, the representative for Angus North and Mearns, believes the bus service is putting people in danger due to the long waits the cancellations can leave people standing at bus stops.
He has carried out a survey amongst you people in his area and has found they are concerned about the safety and reliability of the bus service.
Young people are relying more heavily on bus services since everyone under the age of 22 became eligible for a free bus pass in January.
Meanwhile, Stagecoach says the reliability of the service has improved in recent weeks as staffing levels have improved.
X7 service ‘a disgrace’
Mr Fraser has highlighted the “acute issues” facing the flagship X7 service, which connects Aberdeen and Dundee – labelling the service a “disgrace”.
“I have heard multiple stories of young people waiting on the last bus from Aberdeen to Arbroath at night to be cancelled – leaving them stranded”, he said.
“If the last buses to these places don’t run there is no way to get to Bervie, Johnshaven, or the Mearns coast.
“It makes it difficult if you are working late in Aberdeen. These are the most frequently cancelled buses in the region but are the most essential.”
How bad has the X7’s service been?
Mr Fraser’s intervention comes after the X7 has been under extreme pressure since the new timetable was implemented at the start of October.
Several people have shared their stories of how the service has been impacting them.
- Carol Hutton is unable to see her war veteran partner who lives in Edinburgh due to his PTSD meaning he could not risk becoming stranded.
- Michelle Fletcher was getting up at 4am every day to share the Twitter cancellations with those without access to it.
- Bob Anderson has lost around £400 in his wages this month as a carer due to missing work.
- Catherine Ball had to pay £50 for taxis for her 18-year-old to get to her minimum wage work.
North East MSP: Young people being stranded is ‘terrifying’
Scottish Conservative North East MSP Tess White, said: “It’s terrifying to hear of instances where our young people are left stranded at night due to cancellations with the last X7 service of the day.
“The X7 offers a lifeline for youngsters to become more independent by allowing them to travel to cities like Aberdeen for college or to simply see friends and visit places.
“As the weather continues to worsen, it’s vital passengers aren’t abandoned and left to find another mode of transport due to cancelled services which have been prevalent this year.”
Are young people safe on the bus?
During Mr Fraser’s polling of young people, he found the issue of safety was a recurring concern.
He said: “A lot of these bus stops don’t have lighting and they don’t have CCTV.
“When you combine that with delayed services people have been left feeling very unsafe.”
There have been reports that some young people have been using the free bus service to carry out anti-social behaviour.
Some bus drivers have even taken things into their own hands.
Last week, some Angus bus drivers stopped accepting free bus passes due to repeated troublemakers.
But Mr Fraser believes that blaming young people for anti-social behaviour is wrong.
He said: “There is some anti-social behaviour on buses, but that was always going to happen. That was always going to happen.”
“But the fact it has been blamed on young people using their bus passes is wrong.
“I think it’s just a way of blaming ned culture and people from the schemes.”
He also notes that if people are missing their bus passes, the Scottish Government does have the power to remove them.
What does Stagecoach say?
Stagecoach East says they have not cancelled the last X7 bus from Aberdeen recently apart from when severe weather made it unsafe to operate.
A spokeswoman said: “As staffing levels have increased in recent weeks, customers should be seeing an improvement in service provision in the area.
“We always do our best to ensure the last X7 journey from Union Square (10.50pm Monday-Saturday, 9.50pm Sunday) operates unless circumstances beyond our control prevent it.”
When it comes to anti-social behaviour on buses, they said they have not had any reports other than those made by passengers to the driver.
A spokeswoman said: “We expect our employees to be helpful to all customers and treat them with respect.
“Where we receive feedback about behaviour which does not fall in line with our expectations, we always investigate thoroughly.
“Customers can pass on any concerns or feedback via our customer services team. We want passengers of all ages to feel safe and comfortable on board our buses.”
