New taxi bus service for Selkirkshire now in operation

A new pilot taxi bus service operating in areas of Selkirkshire has been launched.

It offers an on-demand transport link to and from Selkirk for the villages of Lilliesleaf and Midlem as well as incorporating Bowhill House and the Waterwheel café.

The new service is being operated by R and L Taxis, in partnership with Bowhill House and Scottish Borders Council, and is now available to use.

The taxi bus will operate Monday Wednesday, Friday and Saturday with the option of a later journey to and from Selkirk on Fridays and Saturday evenings.

Journeys using the service will be timed to arrive at Selkirk to connect with the X95 for onward travel and can be booked to travel to Bowhill House from anywhere along the route.

The bus can be booked by calling 07950 108927 before 16:00 on the day before travel. As the service is “on-demand” it will only operate when it has been booked in advance. Passengers can board anywhere along the route when the service is operating but will need to contact the operator to confirm.

The Service will operate with flat fares and will accept Under 22 and Over 60 free travel cards as well as contactless transactions. Fare prices are as follows:

• Adult Single £3

• Adult Return £5.40

• Child Single £1.50

• Child Return £2.70

The Council has secured funding for the pilot to operate until 31st March 2025 and it will be used to identify any future demand for bus services in the area.

Councillor Jenny Linehan, Executive Member for Environment & Transport, said: “Given the rural nature of parts of the Scottish Borders we are acutely aware of the difficulties some residents have in accessing public transport.

“Commercial services are often times not viable across these rural or remote locations and so we are committed to finding alternative solutions for residents living in these areas.

“With the commencement of the Selkirkshire on-demand taxi bus service, residents of areas like Lilliesleaf and Midlem will have a reliable bus service to call upon which will help them access key local amenities and the wider transport network.

“Throughout this pilot scheme we will be collecting data to help inform any future changes to bus services in the area.”

For more information about the service visit: www.scotborders.gov.uk/selkirkshiretaxibus