BUS campaigners and politicians are confident that passengers will not be left “high and dry” if First withdraws its services in East Lothian from August 14 as expected.

County MP George Kerevan met Scottish Government Transport Minister Humza Yousaf last Thursday to discuss First’s proposed withdrawal of services.

Mr Kerevan afterwards said he was reassured about the future of bus services in the county. He told the Courier: “I can now say that, having spoken with Humza, I am confident that the services will be replaced by another operator.

“There are a number of companies looking at taking it on, and I’ve spoken with them, but because of confidentiality, I’m not able to say too much about that.

“We might even be looking at getting a better service, which would be excellent news.”

A meeting of RELBUS, the county’s bus action group, took place last week to discuss the issue.

Councillor Michael Veitch, East Lothian Council’s transport spokesman, said he too was “very optimistic” that the void could be filled by other operators.

The Dunbar ward councillor, Mr Kerevan and county MSP Iain Gray were all confident the new services might even be an improvement on what is in place at present.

Mr Veitch, who was not at the RELBUS meeting, said: “The loss of any bus services in the region is always of concern, and especially in this case, the threat to the depots [First proposes shutting the Musselburgh and North Berwick depots as part of its plans].

“That said, we are in a strong position because of the presence of several high-quality bus operators in East Lothian, and I am very optimistic that the void left by First will be filled. Indeed, I am hopeful that the affected communities may end up with a significantly improved service.”

And Mr Gray said: “I was able to report to RELBUS that I have spoken on a number of occasions to East Lothian Council and to Lothian Buses, to encourage discussions about replacing the services from which First are withdrawing.

“I have also spoken to First to encourage them to give maximum cooperation to any operator who might wish to take these routes over, and have received assurances that they will do so.

“I have also made clear to all concerned that the depots at Musselburgh and North Berwick and the staff facing redundancy should be part of any discussions about an alternative provider.

“I know that talks have been taking place, and like Councillor Veitch, I am optimistic that a solution can be found, and that it may even lead to an improvement in services for the communities affected.”

Meanwhile, South of Scotland MSP Rachael Hamilton met with Paul McGowan, managing director at First Scotland East, to raise concerns about the impact on staff facing unemployment. She added: “This is devastating news for the workers who face unemployment; every effort must now be made to ensure that they find work quickly within the industry.

“The Scottish Government must now work with First Scotland East and other bus providers to ensure that services remain at the same standard in the area. Reliable bus links are essential to the East Lothian and wider South of Scotland community and the Scottish Government must ensure these continue to be available to those that need them.”

Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, has also been given assurances, that the Scottish Government is “actively supporting” workers affected by the potential closure of First’s East Lothian depots.

He said: “The consequences of these potential closures will be felt by our communities. It’s therefore imperative that the Government provides as much support as possible.

“I will be working hard to ensure the workers affected get the Government help they need throughout this highly stressful period.”

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said on Tuesday: “First bus will complete their consultation process today, and it will be announced what their intentions are.

“When this is announced, other operators will be able to indicate their intentions or plans.”

And a Scottish Government spokesperson told the Courier: “The transport minister has had a number of meetings with First Scotland East, separately with trade unions and more recently with local representatives to discuss the effect of the recently announced changes to bus services in East Lothian and the surrounding areas.

“These constructive meetings enabled the minister to hear directly about the effect on the community, as well as the local authority’s progress in developing options with other bus operators in a bid to mitigate the impact of the changes. Further updates will inform the minister of progress in implementing bus service options.

“The issues and actions around the management of bus service changes will be used to inform the policy and funding for bus policy in the future.”

The Courier asked Lothian Buses if they intended to take over some or all of First services in East Lothian but a response had not been received before going to press.