THE only early morning bus service that serves Whitehirst Park and Stevenston Road in Kilwinning is set to be axed.

The 29/A service between Whitehirst Park and Irvine Town Centre is operated by Shuttle Buses, and it operates from 6.55am at Whitehirst Park until its last return from Irvine Cross at 5.30pm.

From 6.07pm, the same route is serviced by the 27/A Shuttle Buses - which will not face the chop.

A spokesperson from Shuttle Buses explained why this decision had to be made, as they confirmed the 29/A may cease to operate from July 2023.

Up until July 2022, the service was subsidised by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

However from that date, the subsidy stopped. From July 2022 until October 2022, Shuttle Buses received a Transport Scotland grant to help them maintain this service.

However, once this stopped, the local company have had to operate the service on a full commercial basis - something they have said is simply not viable.

They said the 29/A is currently running at a loss - and that the reason the 27/A will not be cancelled is as it is still subsidised.

Though bosses at Shuttle Buses have now informed SPT of their plans to cancel this service, and feel it is "quite likely" they will step in and save the service with another subsidy.

We approached SPT on this, and they confirmed that if they feel the community is impacted severely by the loss if the service, they will step in, though there are no guarantees.

An SPT spokesperson said:“The operator elected to run this service on a commercial basis, and has now decided not to. As is standard procedure when any service is withdrawn, SPT considers the impact on the communities affected.

"In the first instance, we will endeavour to try and stimulate interest among other bus operators to run the service commercially. 

"If this fails, we will look at other options including subsidising the bus service. 

"However, we cannot automatically – nor could we afford to – replace a withdrawn service on a like-for-like basis. We simply do not have the funding available to do this.”

While it seems that there will certainly be local demand for the service with unconfirmed social media reports that the bus route would be cut leading to mass outcry.

One concerned local explained: "This would mean that there will be no bus service through Whitehirst Park or along Stevenston Road at all and if you are not fit to walk then you will need to pay for a taxi to go anywhere!

"This is a necessity for so many people and will leave many cut off as they won’t be able to pay taxi fares."