There are concerns that University of the Highlands and Islands Perth students will have to quit their courses if proposed bus service changes are implemented.
The Highlands and Islands' Students Association (HISA) has written an open letter to Stagecoach requesting an urgent meeting and asking that planned bus service cuts be postponed.
The university has been “inundated” with messages from both students and parents who are concerned that students will be unable to attend campus classes if proposed bus service changes are implemented.
Stagecoach confirmed it has received the letter and will respond but has no plans to reverse its decision.
On July 15, Stagecoach announced a raft of “bus service improvements from August”, which involve changes to services in Blairgowrie, Perth and the withdrawal of its X56 service between Perth and Edinburgh from Monday, August 24.
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Perth Depute President of the Highlands and Islands Students’ Association Corben Bruce and cross-campus officers sent an open letter to Stagecoach’s chief executive Claire Miles on July 28, expressing their “deep concern” and requesting an urgent meeting and for proposed cuts to be postponed.
They said: “Since the announcement, we have been inundated with messages from UHI Perth students and their parents. Their message to us had been clear and concise your proposed service cuts will adversely affect the ability of UHI Perth students to attend their classes on campus.
“Both current and prospective UHI students have expressed to us how deeply anxious they are about how they will be able to access their education and maintain their current part-time jobs. Similarly, the parents of UHI students have reached out with serious concerns about the impact the proposed
service cuts would have on their child’s ability to continue to study at UHI Perth.
“The withdrawal of the X56 represents the loss of a rural life-line service for UHI Perth students – it is a vital artery that connects the communities of Glenfarg, Milnathort, Kinross, and Kelty to Perth and Edinburgh. Its withdrawal will disproportionately affect UHI Perth students in communities that already face barriers to accessing further and higher education. Many of these communities already have limited alternative transport options, and the removal of this service risks further isolating those who are solely reliant on public transport from essential educational and employment opportunities.
“Given that neither the current 56 nor current 55 services provide a suitable alternative to the X56 service, we urge Stagecoach to pause and postpone the withdrawal of the X56.
“Furthermore, the proposed changes to services 15 and 15A require passengers travelling between Perth and Stirling to change buses at Crieff. There is a reduction in the number of services between Crieff and Perth also, as the 15A will no longer operate past Crieff, instead terminating from Stirling at Crieff.
"This can lead to an increase in journey times. Students have expressed that whilst balancing study, work, and caring responsibilities, the addition of longer and more complex journeys are simply not feasible.
Given the scale of concern and the potential impact on student access to education, we urge Stagecoach to pause or postpone the withdrawal of the implementation of changes to services 15/15A.”
UHI Perth has requested urgent talks with Stagecoach “to discuss the implications of these cuts and explore alternative solutions”.
Stagecoach confirmed it received a letter from UHI Perth and that it will respond directly to it. The bus company – which was taken over by German investment group DWS Infrastructure in a £595 million deal in 2022 – stands by its statement issued last week in response to concerns about the proposed withdrawal of its X56 service.
A Stagecoach spokesperson said, while Stagecoach understood the concerns, it had “no plans to reverse the decision” and that “the service has been significantly loss-making for an extended period, with substantial annual losses”.
The spokesperson said: “The decision to withdraw the service was therefore based on detailed customer data and financial evidence, and there is no commercially viable solution that would allow Stagecoach to continue operating the route.”
The spokesperson added: “We recognise that there are a small number of customers, particularly travelling between Kinross and Halbeath, for whom there is no realistic alternative bus service. If the relevant local authorities consider maintaining a connection in this area to be socially necessary, the appropriate and viable option would be for a replacement service to be provided through a local authority-funded tender.”
Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) reiterated it is “progressing work to explore the available options” and that it “fully recognises the importance” of both the X56 service and the 15/15A services for commuters, residents and students.
Perthshire South and Kinross-shire SNP MSP Jim Fairlie and Perth and Kinross-shire MP Pete Wishart have added their voices to the concerns.
Mr Fairlie said: “Stagecoach’s decision directly impacts whether young people in Kinross-shire and across Perthshire can actually get to their classes. HISA have set out clearly how students and their parents have been in touch, worried and anxious about how they’ll continue their studies.
“I fully support the case UHI and HISA have made. It reinforces what Pete Wishart and I have already told Stagecoach directly: postpone the withdrawal of the X56 and pause the 15/15A changes until there has been genuine consultation with the people affected.”
Mr Wishart added: “Stagecoach’s approach to these cuts has been to press ahead without any consideration of the consequences for education access in Perth and Kinross. UHI Perth students have made clear that these changes threaten their ability to attend classes and hold down part-time work. That’s not a minor inconvenience; for some it could mean the difference between staying in education or dropping out.
“Rural connectivity isn’t a luxury – it’s the backbone of opportunity for communities like Kinross, Milnathort and Glenfarg, and it’s incumbent on Stagecoach to start treating it that way.”
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