I met up with Andrew Jarvis (MD Stagecoach E Scotland) the other day and enquired after the new interdeck coaches they had introduced on the Dundee-Aberdeen route. These have a low floor coupe area for ro-ro wheelchair use and most of the seat in a high floor area over a luggage hold. The coaches were specified with bike carriage as a required feature, and the numbers have been monitored.
The service has had the hours of operation extended and the 8 vehicles required to run the service (PVR) are carrying typically 30-40 bikes per week with a peak of 57 recently. The interesting news is that further coaches are ordered for more routes in the East plus the X74 service from Glasgow to Dumfries.
Then at the Cycle Show I learned of the Ring of Breadalbane minibus and trailer service http://www.breadalbane.org/images/A4%20Bus%20Timetable%202015.pdf - seasonal but running for a few more weeks - however I'd have thought that a Saturday and Sunday service would have been a bit more attractive than the 3 days/week currently offered. Need to find out more about this one - so if any user reviews it would be useful. It does look to ba an option to press Stagecoach to consider cycle carriage on their services to Crieff and Aberfeldy from Perth/Stirling to connect with this service, which offers the potential to ride Glen Lyon around the back of Ben Lawers and pick up the bus for the trip back from Killin.
Pat Douglass has also been working with Steve Walker with bike racks on the back of buses in Moray, in addition to the coach services (10/305/315) along the A96 and coast.
This of course also considering the 448 service from Skipness to Lochearnhead connecting the 3 ferry piers in mid Argyll.
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