A VILLAGE bus company has snatched the right to run three subsidised bus routes in Helensburgh, Lomond and the Vale of Leven from a Greenock-based firm.
Garelochhead Coaches will take over operation of service 305 (Luss-Alexandria), 306 (Helensburgh-Alexandria) and 309 (Old Bonhill/Alexandria-Balmaha) from McGill’s Bus Service on July 16.
The company submitted a bid of £505,000 to Strathclyde Passenger Transport for the five-year contract
That means a saving of £7,633 per year on the current annual cost to SPT of subsidising the three services.
The 309 route partly operates within the Stirling Council area, meaning that the contract award is subject to its final approval.
Garelochhead Coaches, which recently won a £2 million five-year deal to provide school bus services in Helensburgh and Lomond, already operates two local bus services in the area - routes 302 (Helensburgh-Lochgoilhead-Carrick Castle) and 316 (Helensburgh-Garelochhead-Coulport), the latter jointly with another local firm, Wilson’s of Rhu.
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