Following a comprehensive review of the Council’s current supported bus network across the Borders, changes are being made to improve the service and better serve communities.
Amendments to bus services
The main alterations will see the frequency of key services enhanced, including inter-town and town services and a focus placed on improving routes serving important amenities such as employment, education, and healthcare sites.
The data gathered from the Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service that has been trialled in Berwickshire will also be used to support the delivery of similar services in other areas across the Borders to help better connect rural areas into the main fixed route bus network and to key towns and villages across the region.
Improved links to key services & outcomes from the review
The new look network will help to improve the health & wellbeing of Borderers through improved links to key services, destinations, and other modes of transport, whilst also better linking residents to job opportunities and customers to businesses.
The changes have been informed by a substantial bus network review that was undertaken in 2022, to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing commercial and supported bus services.
Through the review, three primary objectives were identified to help inform future service changes; ensuring that inequalities were reduced by the provision of fair and accessible services, that any alterations helped tackle climate change by contributing towards net zero targets and that the efficiency and effectiveness of publicly subsidised bus services were maximised.
The recommendations have been informed by utilising various streams of data including current passenger trends and flows from existing services, mobile phone data and employee postcode data from multiple employers across the region.
Gradual introduction of changes across the Borders
The changes to services will be undertaken gradually as existing contracts with local bus operators begin to expire. However, as a result of some existing services being handed back to the Council by operators in the last six months, some of the outlined changes have already been implemented to mitigate the loss of services and sustain the existing commercial network.
Council officers will continue to engage with communities across the region as the changes come into effect to seek feedback in relation to the changes and to identify alternative sources of funding to help communities deliver transport initiatives.
A full list of the proposed changes to the bus network can be found at www.scotborders.gov.uk/busnetworkreview
Councillor Jenny Linehan, Executive Member for Environment & Transport:
"The local bus network across the Scottish Borders provides a vital lifeline for all connect residents to destinations, amenities, and businesses. We want to ensure it is working as efficiently as possible whilst meeting the needs of Borderers.
“It is an extremely challenging time for the transport industry, with driver shortages, increasing operating costs and reduced patronage following on from the pandemic. All of which contribute towards making bus services across rural areas like the Borders less commercially viable.
“As a result, we have undertaken a comprehensive review to help us analyse the network, obtain vital feedback from communities, and identify changes that will improve the service for the better while creating efficiencies.
“We acknowledge that many of our routes have been unchanged for years and that the time is right to reassess and adapt these to meet customer demand.
“This includes seeing many services to towns increased and more effort made to help connect those living in the most rural areas to amenities through demand responsive transport (DRT) offerings.”