I received a reply today from Falkirk Council's Acting Sustainable Transport Coordinator via my MSP Martyn Day saying that while there is a need for direct links to FVRH the decision unfortunately rests entirely with McGill’s on a commercial basis. Basically, they have no control over routes which are commercially run and they aren't in a position to introduce a subsidised route to alleviate the ongoing significant travel burdens faced by many people on a daily basis.
They also pointed out that the delays on the Edinburgh section of the route (caused by traffic congestion) was causing significant delays and impacting reliability in the Falkirk & Stirling areas so splitting the route has actually improved punctuality and reliability on the Falkirk to Stirling section but the communities East of Falkirk are still being penalised by inadequate transport options.
I will now await a reply from McGill’s before deciding what course of action will be taken next.