Not so good news. I have just heard that a number of under-performing council-supported bus services are being stopped or reduced as part of changes intended to save more than £200,000 a year.
Ten services have been either cut or reduced. to ensure the amount the council spends on bus services does not exceed the budget allocated.
It includes two local services which are being withdrawn:
Service 108 (Muchalls – Newtonhill Park & Choose); Tuesday and Thursday schooldays inter-peak return journey.
Service 103 (Cookney – Aberdeen); Monday to Friday peak return journey.
The decision has been made taking into account how often services are used. The passenger numbers for service 108 is extremely low, with an average of less than one passenger per journey. Muchalls, of course, has alternative Aberdeenshire A2B dial-a-bus services to/from both Newtonhill and Portlethen.
The changes will take effect from Monday, 7 May.