MORE than 600 signatures have been added to a petition against cuts to a bus service in Cumnock.

The online protest is well on its way to reaching a target of 1,000 supporters as it demands that Stagecoach leaves the 42/43 service as it is.

Dale Dinmore of Catrine’s plea to the company follows their proposals to reduce the frequency of buses on both routes to every hour instead of the current half-hour.

Mr Dinmore said: “Please do not implement the proposed changes to services 42 and 43 as this will hugely impact chances on employment and getting around using public transport and means that people like me who can’t afford to have a car will lose out, only Stagecoach West Scotland wins in this.

“Currently services X51 and X42 are always empty or have 1-5 people leaving Cumnock Bus Station and the X51 runs services all very close to each other during the evening leaving Cumnock and X42 usually leaves five or ten minutes after the 42 and usually empty. These are the services that should be changed not the current 43/343 or 42/42A routes.”

Among the comments made, the general consensus is that people feel their livelihoods are under threat and it is not a case of the cuts being inconvenient.

Others have more specific reasons for being angry about the cuts, including Cumnock woman Kerry Roberts.

She said: “As someone with multiple chronic health conditions I wholeheartedly disagree with the decision to cut these bus services. I rely on public transport to travel.

“As such, these cuts represent another obstacle to my ability to travel to hospital appointments and to participate in society.

“Consequentially, cuts such as these, are making me increasingly house bound.”

Another Cumnock resident reveals that her husband, who leaves on the 6.30am number 43 bus every day will not get to his work in time after the September 17 changes.

Other passengers have made alternative suggestions which would avoid having to make any service reductions.

Senga Baird said : “Our buses are always being used. Why not use smaller buses?”, while Dorothy Bell pointed out that the government want ‘more people to use public transport’.

Fiona Evans added: “I’m signing because the public consultations and feedback forms for Stagecoach were pointless, the decision had already been made to cut the 42 and 43 service.”

Mr Dinmore’s petition had attracted 628 signatures at the time of publication — visit www.change.org for more details.

Stagecoach Buses statement, regarding services 42, 43 and 43A, said: “These are the routes where we have seen the greatest level of decline in the last two/three years and it is here where we have to take action to reduce the level of resource to match the current level of demand.”

In a letter to the company’s bosses, Mr Dinmore said: “We need these services and if Stagecoach cannot deliver then I say it is time to let another company or local transport agency take over these routes.”

You can sign Dale's petition here.