Published: Thursday, 18th March, 2010 4:56pm

Largs Local sparks bus war of words

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A huge row over the running of the Largs Local bus erupted at Largs Community Council - even forcing an elected member to threaten police intervention.

Orion Buses owner Dario Sassarini has been forced to defend his service in recent weeks, following allegations of improper practice from community councillor Margaret Brown, who, along with others, has now criticised its running on several occasions.

However, that simmering row boiled over into a huge argument when Mr Sassarini attended the community council along with half a dozen elderly supporters, including one of his own bus drivers.

Mrs Brown also attended with two of her own backers, resulting in a series of heated exchanges, which culminated in North Coast Councillor Elisabethe Marshall warning: "If Margaret doesn't stop, I want the police to remove her."

Mrs Brown had complained that recently the bus was not running for two consecutive days, leaving elderly locals without a service,

But Mr Sassarini insisted that, as his bus was stationed overnight in Skelmorlie, he was simply unable to navigate the vehicle safely through the village's ungritted roads in order to commence his service in Largs.

Councillor Elisabethe Marshall contacted Orion Buses to discuss the issue and was left satisfied by their explanation, prompting her to subsequently ask North Ayrshire Council to grit the roads around the Skelmorlie depot in a bid to resolve the problem.

Mrs Brown replied that she was acting in good faith on behalf of elderly users, but blasted: "The bus is run for the people of Largs, not for the owner to decide when it's off and when it's on. If you own a bus, you run it for your customers, not for yourself."

However, after several interruptions and community councillors demanding that he be given a chance to speak, Mr Sassarini insisted that his hands were tied as it was illegal to leave his bus outwith his agreed depot in Golf Course Road.

Full story in Largs and Millport Weekly News.