Village bus link on way

May 9 2008

A VILLAGE will have its own bus service in two months’ time.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport agreed on Friday to a link between Allanton, near Ferniegair, and Hamilton.

Although Ferniegair has a rail link to Hamilton and Larkhall, villagers have had to trudge up to the Carlisle Road to catch a bus.

SPT on Friday awarded the 12-month contract for the ‘hail and ride’ service to Stuart Coaches, who submitted a tender of £62,400.

From July, a new low-floor bus will provide an hourly link with Hamilton between 9am and 3.30pm.

David McLachlan, the Hamilton councillor who is the vice-chairman of SPT, urged people in Allanton to use the new service or risk losing it.

Villagers had for many years been trying to improve the bus link, but their pleas were rejected after the application failing to meet the required criteria.

Councillor McLachlan asked SPT to look again at the case for a subsidised service and officers visited the area. At about the same time, SPT received a request from HPF Investments for a link between Strathclyde Business Park, near Bellshill, and Hamilton.

HPF agreed in principle to contribute £6000 towards the running of the service.

Councillor McLachlan said: “It was decided to link the Allanton and Strathclyde Business Park applications together to rationalise resources and minimise costs.

“A specification was drawn up for an experimental bus route that would operate for one year between Strathclyde Business Park, Bellshill Station, Hamilton, and Allanton.

“The timetable would provide an hourly service in Allanton during Monday to Saturday shopping hours, and a peak hour shuttle between Bellshill and Strathclyde Business Park.”

Councillor McLachlan thanked HPF for their contribution and welcomed the SPT decision.

He paid tribute to the work of former Ferniegair councillor May Smith,s who also campaigned for the service.