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Fury Over Rural Bus Service Cut in Scotland
2009-03-04
Fury at Cutting Rural Post Bus
The Royal Mail [British postal service] is under fire in Wester Ross [Scotland] over its decision to axe the Strathcarron post bus service next month, after more than 30 years.
Community leaders are angry they were not consulted before Royal Mail decided to scrap a service used by people in the Applecross, Strathcarron and Torridon areas.
They claim this will affect the most vulnerable members of the community and suspect the decision may be related to controversial plans to privatise Royal Mail.
But Royal Mail said that passenger numbers were low and that provision of public transport was a matter for the local authority.
Lochcarron Community Council chairwoman Helen Murchison said: “Stopping the service is bad enough, but stopping it without any prior consultation is unacceptable.
“It makes no sense at all because the post bus will still be running anyway, picking up and delivering mail as it always did, but it won't be allowed to carry passengers.
“Some elderly people in this community depend on the post bus to get out and about, so they'll lose their independence and their dignity.
“It's the least privileged members of society who'll lose out.”
The west coast post bus service began in 1976, at a time of major improvements to the community road network, especially in Applecross, and the service was subsidised by Highland Council. Liz Pritchard, who was secretary of Applecross and Shieldaig Community Council at the time, said the post bus had been used by hundreds of tourists over the years, as well as local residents.
She said: “It seems a very strange decision, particularly when there is public consultation on every single issue these days.
“It's disappointing that this has been done without any assessment of the impact it will have on people's lives.”
A Royal Mail spokeswoman confirmed the service would cease by mid-April.
She said: “The route has very low passenger numbers and the financial subsidy from the local authority does not make it financially viable.
“Royal Mail is first and foremost a postal operator, not a transport company, and our first priority is the collection and delivery of mail.
“Provision of public transport is not the responsibility of Royal Mail, but of the local transport authority.”
One of the Highland Council members for Wester Ross, Jean Urquhart, said she was seeking an urgent meeting with Royal Mail.
She said: “The decision has the potential to drastically change people's lives and seems terribly high-handed.
“I'm not aware of Royal Mail asking the council for more money to run the service.
“This may be the thin end of the wedge with regard to Royal Mail privatisation and may be a wake-up call to the council.”
Source: The Press and Journal
Published: 02/03/2009
Original Source: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1100887?UserKey=
