A FRUSTRATED resident is challenging Stagecoache’s reason for axing the direct Cumnock to Glasgow bus.

Christine McPheators, 67, from Auchinleck relied on the bus every week to meet up with friends and enjoy the city before it was swapped for connections at Kilmarnock last year.

Now she has blasted them as unreliable leaving her stranded in Kilmarnock as ‘they rarely ever run on time’.

It comes after the Cumnock Chronicle launched a campaign to Bring Back Our Bus which has heard concerns from residents throughout the area who miss the X76 direct bus.

Christine insists the direct service was always busy despite Stagecoach claiming there is no demand for it to return.

She now claims it is a ‘major inconvenience’ to travel out of Cumnock as she relies on public transport and her husband doesn’t visit Glasgow at all anymore.

Christine said: “I usually go to Glasgow on a Saturday and you have to hang about Kilmarnock for ages which really is not pleasant at all.

“Unusually when you come from Cumnock to Kilmarnock as soon we we pull in the Glasgow bus is just leaving.

“They can see you pull in as well from the window but they just aren’t interested and take off without you.

“One time a female driver seen everyone come off the bus and waited for us out the kindness of her heart but that’s rare because usually they just drive away leaving us behind.

“I’ve emailed Stagecoach and tried to get in touch but they don’t seem interested either.

“It is all timed so badly.

“They give me the same line about it not being busy and no one wants it anymore but that just isn’t true.

“It was always busy when I used it so I don’t believe them at all.

“It makes us locals feel very isolated and cut off.”

A spokesperson for Stagecoach West Scotland said: “We have reviewed the services between Glasgow and Cumnock and can see that they have run to schedule.

“We have further analysed the volume of passengers travelling on board the 50 and 76 service between Cumnock and Kilmarnock and while there has been no decrease in usage, we have seen an increase on customers choosing to travel on board the X76 between Kilmarnock and Glasgow since the new timetables were introduced.

“Although a small number of passengers do not wish to transfer bus at Kilmarnock Bus Station for onward travel to Glasgow, most of our customers appreciate that it is a short wait at a main transport interchange and have continued to use our services.

"We continue to offer a full range of through tickets to ensure that our passengers do not pay more for travel to Glasgow than they previously did when the service operated directly.”

If you have want to bring the direct X76 bus back or have an opinion let us know at Kirsty.Feerick@newsquest.

co.uk or 01290 421633.