Stagecoach has commenced what it terms a “review” of its North Scotland operations in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray. The business says that it cannot cover the costs of running the local network in those areas and that the situation “is no longer sustainable.”
Options including closure of depots at Insch and Stonehaven form part of consultation work with employees. Transfer of some engineering functions from Elgin depot to Inverness is also among that possible course of action.
The situation has been reached via a combination of the loss of contracted services, lower passenger demand and higher costs, the business says. A Stagecoach spokesperson has confirmed that outright sale of the operations concerned is not under consideration.
Stagecoach North Scotland has already announced a set of service withdrawals in the areas affected by the review from 19 August, some of which are operated on behalf of local authorities. It says that in certain cases, alternative provision will exist via a wholesale change to timetables, with improvements to some other routes as part of that.
However, the operator is now in discussion with local authorities including Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council on consequences of the changes. Services in the Highland Council area – including Inverness and further north – will not change, barring those operated by the Bluebird arm that is subject to the review.
Stagecoach North Scotland says “hopes to be able to mitigates the number of redundancies” that result from the ongoing review. Adds Managing Director David Beaton: “We are a significant local employer, and we understand the importance of bus services for the local community. We also know that any change can be unsettling for our people.
“That is why we are working closely with the trade union to protect both as many jobs and as much of the local bus services as possible. We are carrying out a consultation and will be working closely with staff during this process. However, the reality is that we simply cannot sustain the current operation.”
