RESIDENTS have continued to voice their disdain towards the McGill’s bus services in Clacks, with reports of cancellations amid staff shortages.

McGill’s purchased the contract for the bus services from First Scotland and have come under considerable fire for failing to meet customer expectations.

Their first near 18 months in the contract has been marred with delays, cancellations and the ceasing of vital routes in Clacks.

One mother, who asked to remain anonymous, contacted the Advertiser to share her complaints with McGill’s.

She said: “Buses are being cancelled daily with 10 minutes notice, with no alternative bus on that route either.

“I’ve got teens who rely on the bus every night to get home but instead I’m left driving all over the Hillfoots to collect them because with no buses, they can’t use their bus passes.

“I’ve emailed the company regularly but I’m pretty much told all cancellations are advised online and they have a shortage of staff.

“There is no indication of when this may improve, they don’t seem to be held accountable for the lack of service they are providing.”

One of McGill’s more controversial decisions since taking over was the axing of the 51 service into Clackmannan.

The service, which still operates from Alloa in Stirling via Tullibody, now no longer goes into Clackmannan, leaving many isolated.

Alex Hornby, managing director for McGill’s Group, insisted that buses were running on time to a high degree, but cited staff shortages to be a key factor in delays.

He said: “In the recent period, approximately 97 per cent of our services in Clackmannanshire have run according to the timetabled schedule, with our team working hard to produce a good and reliable service for our customers.

“We obviously aim for this performance to be even higher and acknowledge that when delays and cancellations occur, it is hugely frustrating for those relying on us. 

“We are now 16 months into our transformation programme since we bought the First Scotland East business and whilst there are aspects we would like to be further ahead on, we are making important progress on improving and investing in the fleet serving the region and we have also put extra resources into our local engineering team - along with additional oversight - who look after our vehicles.

“There does remain a shortage of drivers locally and this has caused issues with some services at times.

“Driver shortage has been a difficulty across the sector, not just our company, and has affected every part of the country.

“We have stepped up efforts to recruit new people to the business through increased advertising and we’re looking forward to attending local events - including careers fairs next month – as we seek experienced and trainee colleagues for different positions.

“We have an expert in-house training academy that will make sure new colleagues are ready to embark on a new career and we would encourage anyone who may be interested to visit our website to learn more.”