Council makes post bus cost claim

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/hig ... 942495.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

An increase in subsidies requested by Royal Mail to keep remote post buses on the road could have been met, Highland Council has revealed.

Royal Mail plans to stop operating five services - two in the far north and three in the west Highlands - in April.

A council officer said Highland was denied the chance to discuss the move "in any meaningful way".

He said it was likely the council would have agreed to pay the extra subsidy asked for the two northern services.

Royal Mail has previously said it was first and foremost a postal operator, not a transport company, and its first priority was the collection and delivery of mail.

Cease operation

Low numbers of passengers, lack of funding and smaller amounts of mail carried on the buses have been cited as reasons for the ending of the services.

Those affected are Diabaig-Achnasheen, Applecross-Torridon and Torridon-Strathcarron in Wester Ross and also the far north routes of Thurso-Tongue and Bettyhill-Thurso.

A report to Thursday's transport, environment and community services committee, shows Highland Council paid a total subsidy of £12,871 for the five services.

Royal Mail had requested £35,300 - an increase of £22,429 - to cover 2009-10, but now plans to stop running the buses from 16 April.

The council transport officer said the authority would have tried to meet the costs of the far north routes, at least for an the interim period, and added that the Wester Ross services were also deemed important to communities.

There are no other public bus services between Diabeg-Torridon and Bettyhill-Thurso at the moment.

Councillors will be asked to consider how to replace the five post bus routes if they cease operation.

[johnsouthwales]

kent and surrey had theirs taken off too.

the difference between the uk and the continent....

Postbus austria and postbus germany (kraftbus) A postbus is a public bus service that is operated as part of local mail delivery. As a means to provide public transport in rural areas with lower levels of patronage where a normal bus service is uneconomic Postbus services are run by the postal delivery company and combine the functions of public transport and mail delivery/collection. A standard passenger fare is payable to the driver/postie.

in britain..

In the United Kingdom postbus services by Royal Mail began in 1967 to replace rapidly declining local bus and rail services in rural areas and provide a community service. As of 2006 more than 200 services are operated by Royal Mail, often only once or twice a day but in some areas are the only form of public transport available. Key areas include the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Yorkshire Dales and South West Scotland.