TWO under threat bus services have been saved from the axe — but passengers have been warned to ‘use them or lose them.’ Greenock bus operators McGill’s have stepped in to cover the 317 Kilmacolm to Johnstone route which faced the axe on Friday if a solution was not found.

Bosses at Gillen’s Coaches had announced they were pulling the plug on the service because they were losing money on the unsubsidised route.

Ward councillor David Wilson, who also represents Inverclyde on the board of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, had been campaigning to get the route which stops at Quarrier’s Village, subsidised.

SPT have now issued a £1,500 week contract and accepted a tender from McGill’s to step in.

The new X7A service will operate from today and will go back out to tender again in May for a longer period.

McGill’s are also taking over the 530 Greenock to Kilmacolm service which runs in the evenings and Sundays, after it had been withdrawn in November.

Councillor Wilson said: “This tender will run until 2 June and it is very good news.

“Both services will be run together, so two lots of bus services have been saved.

“McGill’s have stepped in because Gillen’s Coaches didn’t find the contract economic and did not tender for the ongoing service.” “This is a vital rural link — I have had many constituents from Kilmacolm and Quarrier’s phoning me and emailing me about this.

“It was a close thing and we’re thankful for McGill’s for coming in.” But he urged villagers to take advantage of the service, or run the risk of being left stranded in future.

He said: “I would encourage constituents to use it or lose it.”