AN appeal has been made for an Argyll and Bute Council employee to attend meetings on public transport services in Cowal.
Dunoon community councillor David Clough said he had worked to try to find better ways for bus services to connect with ferry services in the area. But he questioned why a named council official, who deals with contracts for the authority’s transport services, did not attend meetings of the Cowal Transport Forum.
A councillor for the area said that he agreed on the presence of the official, and that it would be investigated in time for the forum’s next meeting. The forum met on Monday, November 24.
Mr Clough said: “We know that we will not get Scotrail to start changing timetables for trains to Gourock, because of the complexities of operating Glasgow Central. They are the tail wagging the dog.
“So you talk to parties and try to come up with a solution to suit it. Since the change, I have worked on a spreadsheet with all times from Glasgow towards Strachur, Hunters Quay and other areas.
“It highlights a few examples where collection times are less than one minute. One bus is designed to meet the
8.45am ferry but could be moved by five minutes or so.
“West Coast Motors are fulfilling a contract awarded to them by Argyll and Bute Council, so in the same way CalMac has to dance to Transport Scotland, West Coast Motors has to dance to the council.
Community councillor Clough added: “Where does [the council employee] fit into this? I would love to transport [them] and put [them] in Kilfinnan and say to get a bus to Colintraive.
“Why [do they] not attend this forum? [They manage] the council contract and can go back to the council to increase mileages or whatever needs doing.
“West Coast Motors can only do what they can do within the constraints of what Argyll and Bute Council gives them.”
Dunoon ward councillor Daniel Hampsey, the Transport Forum’s chair, responded: “I think [the employee] may be out of the office right now, but I do agree with you. Part of my consideration for timetables in future was if we were able to have an in-person meeting at Argyll House.
“It would be good to have [the employee] here in person, and I completely agree we should have [them] at these meetings.”
