CUMNOCK residents could soon be feeling less ‘isolated’ over ‘limited’ bus services.

A new law that has lifted the ban on councils being allowed to run services could see direct links to Glasgow return, if the local authority push for it.

When the Transport Bill came before the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee in June, South Region Labour MSP Colin Smyth secured an amendment to the Bill by a narrow six votes to five which gave councils the power to run bus services.

Last week when the Transport Bill came before Parliament for the final time before becoming law, the government decided not to try to reverse the amendment.

The historic law change secured by the South Scotland MSP now means local councils will have the power to run bus services directly or through setting up arms-length municipal bus companies with either model free to compete for any service or franchise.

Colin Smyth hopes the three Ayrshire councils will come together to set up a new publicly owned Ayrshire Buses to help tackle the decline in local bus services.

The MSP said: “I am delighted that my proposal to change the law lifting the legal ban on councils running their own bus services was incorporated in the Transport Bill

“Councils will now be able to run bus services directly or through an arms-length company to the benefit of the communities, which they serve. It is historic change and I hope councils will grasp the opportunity.

“In recent years we have seen the bus network in many parts of Ayrshire being dismantled route by route, fares have risen and passenger numbers plummeted, because big private bus firms have put profit before passengers.

“These cuts have been felt most by our rural communities but have also affected everyone trying to travel at nights and weekends when often there are no buses running.

“Public transport should be a public service accessible to all and now communities through the council have a chance to wrestle control of their bus network away from big business.”