A BORDERS bus company is looking to improve its services after seeing a demand for extra buses.

Borders Buses, which operates the X62 service from Galashiels to Edinburgh, via Innerleithen, Peebles and Penicuik, has decided to increase the frequency of this popular route.

Currently, the X62 runs every hour on a Saturday, however, from Monday, July 3, the service will be half hourly.

The service already runs half hourly Monday to Friday.

Lee Young, operations manager at Borders Buses, said: “We are pleased to be improving the frequency of our Saturday service on the X62 and hope our customers make full use of the added journeys."

Borders Buses will also look to make improvements to other routes it operates later this summer.

The company will also launch a customer survey to gain important feedback on its services.

 Mr Young added: "It’s been challenging times for our business and industry, mainly down to driver shortages and the uncertainty over demand for bus travel. 

"Thankfully due to our ongoing recruitment campaign we now have more drivers on-board and are now able to start introducing more frequency to parts of the bus network where we are experiencing continuous demand for bus travel.  

"We will also be launching a customer survey to better understand our customers travel requirements and would encourage our bus users to get involved as it will play a part in how we shape the bus network." 

Borders MSP Christine Grahame, of the SNP, has added her encouragement for more people to use local buses, especially those who have an over 60s pass and under 22s who can travel free of charge.

Ms Grahame said: “ I am pleased to learn of these improvements and note that others are on the way.

"I encourage all who have concessionary passes to make use of them particularly the over 60s who for good reason during Covid may have lost the habit of bus travel. 

“Each time you use your concessionary pass it supports the bus service and the more use the more likely an increased bus service.” 

For more information on improvements, time tables, and routes, visit: bordersbuses.co.uk