Additional bus service set to be introduced for Nairn pupils in Lochloy to help tackle capacity issue
Nairn pupils travelling to school from Lochloy are set to benefit from an additional service from next week after some children were unable to board on their way to school in past weeks.
The start of this school term saw a capacity issue affecting travel between Lochloy and Nairn Academy, which stemmed from the fact that the bus operates as both a school bus and a public service.
Nairn councillor Paul Oldham raised the issue with Highland Council officers and in his newsletter on Sunday announced that a solution was agreed to overcome what is a service considered as being ‘a little odd’.
He said: “The solution that has now been agreed is to make use of another school bus, which already collects children from Ardclach, Lethen, Moyness and Kingsteps and so goes down Lochloy Road.
“From next Monday, 23rd September it will also operate as a service bus for pupils in Lochloy picking up at the end of the service track into Burnside.
“This will be a service bus for them so pupils will need to use their U22 card to pay, as they do with the Stagecoach service 120 now. The latter bus will continue as before so there will now be two service buses going to the Academy.
He added: “I should mention in passing that the new bus is operated by the Highland Council in-house team and it’s only because the council now has its own bus service that this was possible to do relatively painlessly.”
Highland Council introduced its in-house bus service in January 2023 and has seen an expansion in recent months, with the addition of a ticketing app and of two double-decker buses added to its fleet.
More information for students affected will be shared by the school.
