DISCOVER: Thinking about passenger transport services (including School transport, subsidised bus services, door to door transport, and concessionary travel), what's currently working well in Fife?
It is good to have an improved bus service route for 89/89a which serves Queen Margaret hospital enabling people to get there for visiting and appointments and to Ferrytoll. It is also great to see a Saturday service. A Sunday service on 89/89a route would be a welcome addition as well as an improvement to the afternoon service on this route where school bus runs affect it. A more frequent service other than one bus every two hours all day would be welcomed to enable people to travel into Dunfermline from Garvock Hill area for appointments in town or hospital and shopping. If you miss one or weather is bad the you are stuck for four hours in town etc:
There are quite a few responses giving food for thought on several fronts and these should be given consideration. As a frequent user of subsidised bus services out of choice rather than necessity, I would very quickly revert to taking my own car for journeys if the fare subsidy was withdrawn. It is worth considering that if too few seniors use the concessionary bus scheme, the amount of 'top up' from authority will diminish to a level that will mean the service operators will have to reduce the frequency of commercial services.
Re school bus services, common sense and practicality must prevail - there are distances where it is practical to walk and others where it is not. The comment on 'vulnerable children walking 2 to 3 miles to school' is troubling as no-one has made such an unrealistic proposal and highlights that extreme claims can be made to support/reject otherwise sound suggestions.
Thank you for your feedback. Feedback like this is invaluable when planning and establishing journeys and routes. The consultation for Fife Councils supported services in North Fife will begin in May/June next year. The survey will be on Fife Direct, please look out for it.
It would be good if Lochgelly Railway station was accessible to all. As matters stand, only one platform is acceptable. The other is only accessible via a very steep and dimly lit flight of steps - not accessible by mobility impaired, cyclists , prams etc.
It would also be good if the Fife Circle circular service would be reinstated.
I don't think over 60's still in full time work should be issued bus passes. There are young people struggling to get full time work, and yet have to pay full price to get them to work, yet those in often good jobs at management level that have chosen not to retire, are given free travel.
Subsidised bus services in an evening and on Sundays here in Crail are good at reducing the need for car journeys. They are much the simplest way of visiting St Andrews or Anstruther for hassle free shopping. But, I recently came across an example of a Crail resident with an 8am appointment at St Margarets Hospital in Dunfermline - it's impossible to get to Dunfermline that early from Crail with the current bus service. The same would be true for an 8am appointment at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. Would it therefore be an idea to also subsidise extra bus journeys early in the morning say 1 journey on each subsidised route an hour before the commercial service starts - it would help get people to hospital and work who would otherwise have to rely on cars.
I think it’s important for people to be able to get direct public transport from major centres of population to their main hospital. At the moment I think it’s impossible to go from Cupar direct to the Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy. The quickest way is train then bus but that is a difficult journey for many elderly people.
It infuriates me that on the 95 and 97 buses they use big double decker buses that carry very few passengers. The 95 has to squeeze through small streets in coastal villages often with a handful of passengers and once the 97 leaves St Andrews it has no communities to pick up/drop off passengers except Largoward: I have written to Stagecoach who say they have no plans to put more eco friendly buses on. I’ve written to Jenny Gilruth my MSP who never replied s and Patrick Harvie in the Greens but again no reply. Can the council not threaten to remove the subsidy unless smaller buses are used?
At present there are no buses that pass by Dunnikier Chalet Park, Kirkcaldy, although bus stops are in place. The majority of the residents within the Chalet Park are elderly and have to either get a taxi or if able walk to Asda to get a bus, which is some distance if you have mobility issues. All in all I feel the bus services in Fife are very good and provide an excellent service for most, just a shame that it is not the case for the residents of Dunnikier Chalet Park.
Thank you for taking the time to contribute. During our consultation for subsidised bus services in mid Fife, we received various requests for a bus service to pass Dunnikier Chalet Park. We added this into the specifications we put out to tender and are currently analysing the returned bids. If any of the residents of the Chalet Park have mobility difficulties, they may be eligible to use the Ring & Ride for their journeys.
Subsidized bus travel seems to provide a significant percentage of passengers on bus services. it's harder to justify subsidized train travel since much fewer places are served.
On busier routes/stops, digital realtime displays at the main stops (showing services due etc), seem critical for encouraging bus use and giving confidence for those making the journey. These are now fairly common in the cities but I can't think of one across Levenmouth (the only one at Leven Bus Station is out of action
Thank you for your comments. We are currently working with our partners at Sestran who are procuring a new information system which will include features such real time arrivals and departures. It’s hoped that this will be up and running by the summer.
The amount spent on Concessionary travel amounts to less than £1 per annum/ per head of population in Fife. It enables and therefore encourages seniors to get out and about. If they don't, then the cost in health care will increase well in excess of that small amount and older people will have a poorer spirit and quality of life
Open answers (77)
It is good to have an improved bus service route for 89/89a which serves Queen Margaret hospital enabling people to get there for visiting and appointments and to Ferrytoll. It is also great to see a Saturday service. A Sunday service on 89/89a route would be a welcome addition as well as an improvement to the afternoon service on this route where school bus runs affect it. A more frequent service other than one bus every two hours all day would be welcomed to enable people to travel into Dunfermline from Garvock Hill area for appointments in town or hospital and shopping. If you miss one or weather is bad the you are stuck for four hours in town etc:
There are quite a few responses giving food for thought on several fronts and these should be given consideration. As a frequent user of subsidised bus services out of choice rather than necessity, I would very quickly revert to taking my own car for journeys if the fare subsidy was withdrawn. It is worth considering that if too few seniors use the concessionary bus scheme, the amount of 'top up' from authority will diminish to a level that will mean the service operators will have to reduce the frequency of commercial services.
Re school bus services, common sense and practicality must prevail - there are distances where it is practical to walk and others where it is not. The comment on 'vulnerable children walking 2 to 3 miles to school' is troubling as no-one has made such an unrealistic proposal and highlights that extreme claims can be made to support/reject otherwise sound suggestions.
The Cupar town service bus works very well and I hope this can be retained, perhaps even expanded into later in the evening
Thank you for your feedback. Feedback like this is invaluable when planning and establishing journeys and routes. The consultation for Fife Councils supported services in North Fife will begin in May/June next year. The survey will be on Fife Direct, please look out for it.
It would be good if Lochgelly Railway station was accessible to all. As matters stand, only one platform is acceptable. The other is only accessible via a very steep and dimly lit flight of steps - not accessible by mobility impaired, cyclists , prams etc.
It would also be good if the Fife Circle circular service would be reinstated.
I don't think over 60's still in full time work should be issued bus passes. There are young people struggling to get full time work, and yet have to pay full price to get them to work, yet those in often good jobs at management level that have chosen not to retire, are given free travel.
totally agree.
Subsidised bus services in an evening and on Sundays here in Crail are good at reducing the need for car journeys. They are much the simplest way of visiting St Andrews or Anstruther for hassle free shopping. But, I recently came across an example of a Crail resident with an 8am appointment at St Margarets Hospital in Dunfermline - it's impossible to get to Dunfermline that early from Crail with the current bus service. The same would be true for an 8am appointment at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. Would it therefore be an idea to also subsidise extra bus journeys early in the morning say 1 journey on each subsidised route an hour before the commercial service starts - it would help get people to hospital and work who would otherwise have to rely on cars.
I think it’s important for people to be able to get direct public transport from major centres of population to their main hospital. At the moment I think it’s impossible to go from Cupar direct to the Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy. The quickest way is train then bus but that is a difficult journey for many elderly people.
Thank you for your feedback. Feedback like this is invaluable when planning and establishing new journeys and routes with the bus companies.
It infuriates me that on the 95 and 97 buses they use big double decker buses that carry very few passengers. The 95 has to squeeze through small streets in coastal villages often with a handful of passengers and once the 97 leaves St Andrews it has no communities to pick up/drop off passengers except Largoward: I have written to Stagecoach who say they have no plans to put more eco friendly buses on. I’ve written to Jenny Gilruth my MSP who never replied s and Patrick Harvie in the Greens but again no reply. Can the council not threaten to remove the subsidy unless smaller buses are used?
At present there are no buses that pass by Dunnikier Chalet Park, Kirkcaldy, although bus stops are in place. The majority of the residents within the Chalet Park are elderly and have to either get a taxi or if able walk to Asda to get a bus, which is some distance if you have mobility issues. All in all I feel the bus services in Fife are very good and provide an excellent service for most, just a shame that it is not the case for the residents of Dunnikier Chalet Park.
Thank you for taking the time to contribute. During our consultation for subsidised bus services in mid Fife, we received various requests for a bus service to pass Dunnikier Chalet Park. We added this into the specifications we put out to tender and are currently analysing the returned bids. If any of the residents of the Chalet Park have mobility difficulties, they may be eligible to use the Ring & Ride for their journeys.
Subsidized bus travel seems to provide a significant percentage of passengers on bus services. it's harder to justify subsidized train travel since much fewer places are served.
On busier routes/stops, digital realtime displays at the main stops (showing services due etc), seem critical for encouraging bus use and giving confidence for those making the journey. These are now fairly common in the cities but I can't think of one across Levenmouth (the only one at Leven Bus Station is out of action
Thank you for your comments. We are currently working with our partners at Sestran who are procuring a new information system which will include features such real time arrivals and departures. It’s hoped that this will be up and running by the summer.
My comment should have said Rail / Train Concessionary travel. Apologies
The amount spent on Concessionary travel amounts to less than £1 per annum/ per head of population in Fife. It enables and therefore encourages seniors to get out and about. If they don't, then the cost in health care will increase well in excess of that small amount and older people will have a poorer spirit and quality of life