Thank you all for over 500 signatures.

This is a great milestone, and can show that with team work and grit (determination), we can achieve things.

I saw that the council has reinstated many routes, which did not have as much backing as we did.

I had gone to the papers, when we had just over 300, as you may have well seen. When we reached 500 last night, I contacted ITV Border News to communicate further on this issue, & awaiting their response currently, and then will contact the BBC today. I also am considering Channel 4, however as their news isn't localised, I am concerned that it may not receive the coverage it needs.

When I initially started the petition, like many of the petitions in Dumfries, I had concerns it would plateau at around 100-150, but when it reached 300 so rapidly, I was overfilled with joy.

Currently, the council & Stagecoach response is, it is implied significantly because of how the route used to go Northbound to Moffat, there were not enough passengers using the service; and they are not looking at the bigger picture, as well as not looking specifically at the 7:40am service, but rather all four services (6:55 leaving Dumfries, 8:50 leaving Dumfries, 9:40 leaving Moffat), which weren't always as popular.

And Houston's & McCalls response is that they just don't have the capacity available, which intrigues me since Houston's managed to find a bus and driver out of thin air for the 2 through Heathhall, and McCalls also managed to find a bus and driver for the morning 246 for Wallace Hall Students in Thornhill. What is it that makes Wallace Hall Students more valuable than those at D&G College, Barony College and Dumfries Academy? I do not know.

However, I think with this amount of signatures, the council response will have to escalate it further.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, I believe we should 100% make sure that D&G Council has definitely heard the message loud and clear, and fill in their feedback form, located at the end of Q15 in their FAQ page. Here is the link to it. https://www.dumfriesandgalloway.gov.uk/news/2025/bus-network-changes-your-questions-answered