Bring back the early morning 74 bus between Dumfries and Moffat

Since Stagecoach withdrew from much of Dumfries and Galloway, bus services in the region have been unreliable, and people who depend on them have been left to cope on their own. One of the hardest losses has been the early morning 74 between Dumfries and Moffat.

That bus left Dumfries at 6:55, reached Moffat at 7:40 and was back in Dumfries by 8:30. For workers in Moffat, Parkgate and the villages along the route, it was the only practical way to start a shift on time. Without it, some are relying on elderly relatives to drive them, and others have been warned that repeated late arrivals could cost them their jobs, even though the problem is not of their making.

The later 74, which left Dumfries at 8:55 and Moffat at 9:40, has been partly replaced by other services, but they are not a real substitute. The 101 and the X74 are not guaranteed to run with low-floor, single-deck vehicles. The X74 can have as few as three downstairs seats, and the 101 is sometimes operated with a coach, which leaves passengers with reduced mobility unable to travel comfortably or at all.

For many people in this rural area, public transport is not a convenience but a necessity for work, health appointments and daily life.

We are asking the council and the operators to restore the early 74, and to make sure the replacement for the later journey uses accessible buses, so no resident is shut out because of a timetable or a vehicle type.