FINALLY I've made it up and down Ben A'an in The Trossachs, no mean feat given the dire public transport situation in the area, as mentioned in my letter of July 6.
As there is no bus from Glasgow to Aberfoyle in the mornings, and no bus going anywhere near Loch Katrine, Loch Achray or places like Brig o'Turk, I pre-booked a Demand Responsive Taxi (DRT) through Stirling Council and was wheeched very efficiently from Balfron to Loch Achray.
But the whole system is far from satisfactory. For everyone. Users of DRT have to book the previous day, which in a stroke removes the freedom and spontaneity that lovers of the great outdoors relish.
And taxi firms are struggling with the whole scheme. I believe they are paid per mile, but that is only for miles during transit of the user. It does not cover the miles getting to and from the journey. A DRT taxi could travel many miles to uplift someone for a relatively short journey and find the reward barely covers the cost of fuel.
Unless Stirling Council gets a grip here, it’s not only going to see those taxi firms which perform the DRT service withdrawing from the scheme, it is also in danger of killing places like Aberfoyle. I can already see the signs: closed businesses and a general feeling of dereliction.
As a society we can no longer turn our back on those who do not have their own transport. We have to provide necessary additional bus services and we have to subsidise them, not just for the sake of Scottish tourism, but for the ordinary people who live and work in and around places like Aberfoyle.
Edward Burns,
Flat 7E, 10 Broomhill Lane, Glasgow.
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