BUS passengers and politicians alike are trying to figure out what to do in the wake of the latest Ayrshire bus cuts, which have seen evening services from Bourtreehill slashed.

The latest Stagecoach timetables, which comes into effect on May 28, reveal that the Service 28 has been cut back in the evenings, with the last bus now leaving Bourtreehill at 8.47pm and arriving in Irvine at 9.04pm.

Stagecoach confirmed that many local routes had been trimmed following an overall review of services across Ayrshire. The number 28, along with others, was closely monitored and the late journeys were 'not well used'.

Edward Hodgson, managing director of Stagecoach West Scotland, said: "We face the same economic challenges as any other organisation, particularly in the current climate. We are unable to support every unprofitable service in the same way local and central government is unable to fund all services we would like to see in our local communities.

"Bus operators across the country have had a 20 per cent cut in the government's Bus Service Operators Grant from April 2012, which puts further pressure on local bus services on top of the ever increasing fuel and energy costs faced by the public and businesses."

See this week's Irvine Times for the full story.