Home win for Argyll in support of West Coast Motors

Solidarity won the day. Argyll’s unswerving support for Campbeltown-based bus company, West Coast Motors has seen Scottish Citylink renew its contract with the local firm to supply the Campbeltown to Glasgow and Oban to Glasgow routes. When the long running contract between the two expired in May, Citylink then offered West Coast Motors a new contact – but under less favourable terms in a context of rocketing fuel prices. West Coast rejected the offer and the two companies have since been engaged in a face off competition for passengers. As one of Argyll’s major employers, the county could not afford to see West Coast Motors emerge the loser. Throughout the cat and mouse tactics that became a feature of the contest, it was noticeable that the West Coast buses ran full where the Citylink buses often had no more than a couple of people on board. The outcome of the dispute is that West Coast Motors buses will deliver Scottish Citylink’s current schedules – if anyone can remember what these actually are. It’s been several months since anyone on the two routes could be sure which company was driving what schedule.