Although local reports state that Stagecoach has plans to ‘withdraw’ from the Dumfries and Galloway area, a move that South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said would ‘utterly decimate’ local bus services and leave communities stranded, it appears that the move is in fact related to contracted services in the area, operated under tender from Dumfries and Galloway Council. Although plans are not yet finalised, the company warned that it could not agree to the terms requested during a retendering process for school transport by Dumfries and Galloway Council and transport partnership SWestrans.
Local media reports that residents contacted their local MSP after being informed that the company is preparing to step back from all school transport and council-subsidised routes across the region, which could also mean the closure of its Dumfries and Stranraer depots, with 130 jobs placed at risk, with the company expected to retain a small amount of commercial work in the area, such as its X74 express service to Glasgow, should it not renew the tendered work.
A spokesperson for the operator said: “The majority of the bus services Stagecoach operates in Dumfries and Galloway are under a contract arrangement with SWestrans which is due to expire in August 2025. Dumfries and Galloway council have managed a tender process on behalf of SWestrans, which we have participated in. As part of our due diligence reviewing the terms of the contracts being tendered, we have identified a liability clause that is far in excess of the value of the contracts on offer. Stagecoach is unfortunately unable to agree to a contract on these disproportionate terms, and we have now notified the council. It is our understanding that our bids will not be recommended for award.
“We are now reviewing the impact of this on our local network of services and the significant number of staff we employ in the region at our Dumfries and Stranraer depots. Stagecoach West Scotland remains committed to keeping people in the community connected while we identify the impact of the tender process. We will provide an update on this when it is appropriate.”
MSP Colin Smyth raised concerns that other operators in the area might not be able to step in to cover the work or provide alternative employment: “If Stagecoach goes ahead with its threat to withdraw from the region, this would be devastating news for the workforce,” he said.
“Stagecoach’s possible exit would be a hammer blow to public transport in our region and utterly decimate local bus services. I urge Stagecoach to think again. In the meantime, I’ve already raised this urgently with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and will be pressing the Scottish Government and the council to step in and put in place alternative operators for these vital services. But let’s be clear — with Stagecoach running the vast majority of bus routes in the region, I do not underestimate how difficult that will be.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council said: “In conjunction with regional transport partnership SWestrans, Dumfries and Galloway Council is engaged in a live tender process to re-procure bus services. SWestrans is responsible for delivery of the local bus network, while the home-to-school transport network is the statutory responsibility of Dumfries and Galloway Council.
The contracts for bus services for home-to-school transport are due to expire at the end of this academic year and the subsidised local bus network contracts operated by SWestrans will end on 3 August. There is a need to re-procure contracts to provide these services from August. As part of the tender process, the council and SWestrans need to ensure that we have bus operators that meet minimum requirements on a range of industry-standard terms and conditions. This is in order to protect the public interest.”
The council added that it would continue to work with SWestrans on the tender process which it says has ‘supporting and connecting
the communities of Dumfries and Galloway firmly at its heart.’ “The council takes its statutory duties to provide those children entitled to school transport extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring all school transport routes are operational for the start of the school year in August, with these routes being given priority. In addition, the council and SWestrans are committed to providing a well-connected local bus network. These long-term contracts will provide bus operators with certainty and stability in a market that is increasingly fragile and unsustainable.”
The council added that since negotiations are ongoing, it would not comment further on the process but would provide updates at an appropriate time.
