The Friendly Bus service is a weekly shopper’s bus that is used by people who have difficulty using ordinary buses to get out and about. It takes them to a nearby supermarket where they spend an hour or so doing their shopping before catching the bus home again. Help is given to passengers getting on and off the bus with shopping bags if it’s required.
As part of its budget savings for 2013/14 Dundee's SNP administration is proposing to do away with this service to save £60,000 a year. The intention is to pursue an alternative service via a flexibly routed local bus service. However when I asked the council’s transportation section what the alterative would be I was advised that the replacement would be limited and is still subject to full design.
Today I met with a group of pensioners from Broughty Ferry who use the service every Thursday to be taken to Sainsbury’s. They told me that the Friendly Bus was invaluable as it allows them to do a full shop when otherwise they wouldn’t be able to get to a supermarket and carry home their shopping. It also gives them access to a cash machine and a post box. For some this is the only day in the week they are able to get out of their homes.
The Friendly Bus provides a lifeline for many elderly people, particularly those who for mobility reason have difficulty using the main bus route. It is an excellent service and its disappointing that it is being put forward by the SNP administration as a budget saving. I intend to look for alternative savings to allow this service to continue and will submit these at the budget meeting on 14 February. Meanwhile I would encourage the users of the service to contact their councillors to ask them to rethink this proposal.
