MSP urges First Minister to reform regional transport after vital hospital link scrapped

Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP David Green has pushed the First Minister John Swinney to reform regional transport to allow Highland communities to have more of say in how their transport was operated.

Stagecoach recently announced the scrapping of the X99 bus service, which runs between Inverness and Scrabster, stopping at Raigmore hospital and serving Wick and Thurso.

Highland Council have announced they will step in to serve stagecoach’s other routes to Wick and Thurso but will not continue the X99 service.  

Appealing directly to the First Minister this week in the wake of the announcement, Mr Green said: “Although I welcome Highland Council stepping in to protect local jobs and services, people feel not only angry at commercial operators picking and choosing routes to run but also abandoned.

“Does the First Minister share my concerns about the loss of that vital service for my constituents? Will he therefore commit to a new model for regional transport that gives communities across the Highlands a meaningful say over when and where their buses run?”

The First Minister replied: “I am very sympathetic to the point that Mr Green makes. I have wrestled with the same issues in my constituency in different localities—particularly, I might add, in relation to access to hospital services. Therefore, I know how pivotal that service is for Mr Green’s constituents”.

Continuing, he said “I very much welcome the approach that Highland Council has taken in relation to a variety of different routes, where it has intervened to try to protect the availability of local services. There are important lessons for us in relation to municipal leadership in the delivery of bus services in the interests of the community.”

Mr Swinney added that there was opportunity for Mr Green to work with the Transport Secretary to improve legislation on buses.

Following the Exchange, David Green MSP Said:

“Getting one person who needs an appointment to go down to Raigmore on public transport is of incredible value to everyone who might need it. The announcement that this service will no longer run is deeply troubling.

“I welcome the First Minister’s recognition of the importance of the service to my constituents, and I look forward to engaging with his government further on the issue."