TRANSPORT bosses insist cuts are not to blame for the scrapping of an Irvine bus service.

The Times told last week how bus company Stagecoach have withdrawn the 21 and 24 buses due to apparently low passenger numbers and a cut in reimbursement to bus operators by the Scottish Government under the free concession travel scheme.

But Transport Scotland insist that the budget for concessionary travel has actually increased by £10million.

A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said: “It’s a commercial matter for Stagecoach whether to run services without subsidies and for SPT to determine whether local needs justify subsidy for the routes concerned if the operator finds it uneconomical to run otherwise.

“The budget for Concessionary Travel has been increased by £10million (from £192million to £202million). The small reduction in the reimbursement rate between 2014-15 and 2015- 16 (from 58.1 per cent to 57.1 per cent) was determined by an economic model developed with expert independent advice, agreed with the industry and designed to ensure operators are fairly compensated, in line with EU rules.” The decision to axe the 21 service in particular has been fiercely slated. Furious Drybridge residents are demanding that Stagecoach maintain the service and will be holding a public meeting to discuss the issue at the Drybridge Community Centre this Thursday, March 26.

Representatives from Stagecoach and are scheduled to attend the meeting along with MP Brian Donohoe and Councillor Ian Clarkson.

Speaking this week, community activist and Drybridge resident Ian Wallace said: “Stagecoach’s proposal to withdraw the number 21 service which serves the village of Drybridge will have a major impact on people who rely on public transport from Kilmarnock to the Magnum in Irvine.

"As the only bus operator in the area, Stagecoach should not be allowed to cherry pick the most profitable routes and close the others. We demand that Stagecoach maintain this service."

"Removing bus services will mean more cars and more parking chaos in Irvine – and the people least able will be penalised again.” Yesterday (Tuesday) Ian added: “If they withdraw the service there will be no public transport in Drybridge. The people in the village who don’t have transport will have to get a taxi or have to walk to Dundonald or Dreghorn to get a bus. It’s crazy.

“Anybody who is coming from Dreghorn, Bourtreehill or Broomlands who work in Dundonald or any of the factories will have to walk and get a different route and cause a lot of problems for people.

“Hopefully our local MSPs will be able to attend the meeting on Thursday, this is important enough for them to skip parliament. There’s no excuse for them not to show up.

“There’s a lot of older people in the Drybridge community and they’ll be left without travel access. Stagecoach can’t get away with having a monopoly and then picking and choosing want services they are going to drop.” Councillor Clarkson echoed Mr Wallace’s comments, believing the loss of the service would be “devastating” to the people of Drybridge.