A bus service connecting communities throughout the Cairngorms National Park is to be cancelled because of poor passenger numbers and high costs.
The trans-Cairngorm Heather Hopper was launched in 2006 to provide a new summer service between Ballater and Grantown.
But despite growing to include other towns on both sides of the Cairngorms, weekly passenger numbers have fallen dramatically in the past four years.
National park officials now claim the May to September service is too expensive and has had limited benefits for visitors.
In its first two years, the Heather Hopper attracted 131 passengers a week, but figures for last year show that just 42 travelled each week.
A report to go before the board of the Cairngorms National Park Authority on Friday recommends that the service be discontinued.
It said that Highland Council and Aberdeenshire Council, which both contributed funding, agreed with the recommendation.
John Thorne, the park’s economic development officer, said continuing the service would cost the park £35,000 but that funding could be used more effectively on other projects.
He is proposing a pilot field trip fund for schools and other groups, costing £10,000.
He said: “The best transport projects ensure that every pound is spent in a focused manner. However the Heather Hopper does not provide value for money and should be discontinued.
“It has always been the intention to run the Heather Hopper for several more years to allow the service to bed in.
However with the current decrease in budgets, the low usage numbers and the untargeted manner of funding, we can only recommend that funding for the service is withdrawn.”
Mr Thorne added Stagecoach may continue parts of the service commercially.
The board meeting will take place at Boat of Garten Community Hall from 10.30am on Friday.
Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.
20/01/2010
Heather Hopper stops hopping
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