Glenfarg Community Transport’s plan to takeover the Kinross to Tillicoultry 202 bus service is now well advanced.
The new service, which will be run as service 23, will start on Monday 2nd September (subject to Traffic Commissioner approval) and provide eleven journeys per day in each direction. The reintroduction of the 23-route number is a nod to the service which ran for nine decades between Stirling and St Andrews, through West Kinross-shire, before it was withdrawn in 2021.
The 55 Bus won the Best Bus Service award at the Scottish Transport Awards in June because it had increased frequency, increased passenger numbers, improved passenger satisfaction and had demonstrated “modal shift”. GCTG hopes that this can be replicated on The 23 Bus and indeed the two services will be totally connected. When the 55 arrives in Kinross from Perth/Glenfarg, the same bus will run on as the 23 to Tillicoultry via Crook of Devon, Powmill, Blairingone and Dollar and these communities will be linked to the Campus, Milnathort, Glenfarg and Perth. On the return journey, the 23 will layover at the Park & Ride for 15 minutes to allow for a driver comfort stop and allow the potential for a quick supermarket visit for passengers before heading north as the 55. Eight journeys per day will operate to Perth via Glenfarg and the other three trips will terminate in Glenfarg. There will not be a break of service at lunch time – the hourly service will operate throughout the day. Cash, Credit Cards and Concession Cards will be accepted on board.
The new service will allow connections with the 52 service to and from Stirling and Alloa in Tillicoultry, and the frequent mainline bus services at Kinross Park&Ride will make onward travel to the main cities possible. In Perth, connection will be possible with Stagecoach town and county services – Perth Royal Infirmary will be accessible with one easy connection at the Library or Mill Street.
A new low floor, 16 seat, bus will arrive in August and the three buses will continually loop round the route with the first bus from Glenfarg via Kinross to Tillicoultry at 7.00 am and the last bus arriving back in Glenfarg at 6.45pm. The first three months will operate as a pilot to make sure that the timings are correct and in October it is hoped to introduce a Booking App that will allow us to introduce some flexibility into the timetable (similar to the Ember services).
Glenfarg Community Transport Group is keen to emphasize that this is a Community response to a transport problem and that the service is community-led and owned. GCTG has been working very closely with Fossoway Community Council and their Development Trust to design this service and will work very closely with the communities served. CCTG operates in a Public Social Partnership with Perth & Kinross Council and the bus services receive funding from the Council, Smarter Choices Smarter Places, and several other initiatives. Work is ongoing through the Kinross-shire Transport Forum to work out ways of extending these benefits to other areas of the Shire.
Timetables will be on the website www.GlenfargCT.co.uk in late August and will be published in the next edition of the Kinross Newsletter in September.
