And the mid week service has been cut back so much that some staff cannot even get to work.

Changes to the Livingston service were announced last Wednesday, just days before they came into effect.

The village has dropped from having three buses an hour to just one during the week, with the first not leaving the village till 7.40am. Saturday services have stopped altogether, and Sunday ones are few and far between.

Gillian Walker (44), a civil servant, uses the number six bus to get to her work in Livingston, but now doesn't even have a bus till ten minutes AFTER she is meant to start work.

She said: ''There is no way I can walk the two miles to Broxburn to catch a bus there along that road in dark winter mornings. I now have to pay £7 on a taxi to get me to the bus stop in Broxburn, then spend £2 on the bus to Livingston. I don't earn enough to pay that every day. And on Monday it took me two hours to get home on the bus. I'd like my bus back so I can get to work. I have never been on benefits before in my life, but that is what might happen if I cannot get to work. I am now having to pay for driving lessons to get round this. It's a huge expense.''

For pensioner Ruby Hogton (68) and her 94-year-old mum Louisa, the loss of the Saturday service is a huge blow.

Mrs Hogton said: ''I always use the bus because I can get my mum's wheelchair on board and we go to the shops in Livingston. There is no way I can push her wheelchair all the way to Broxburn.

''And we used to have three services an hour during the week, and that is down to one. When I took it earlier this week by the time it left the village it was nearly full. I worry that some days there might not be room for my mum and I on the bus.

''The bus service is now diabolical. My brother in law is a regular patient at St John's - how will we be able to visit him at the weekend when we don't have a car?''

Villager Mrs Nancy Lithgow (72) and husband Thomas (75), regularly use the bus.

She said: ''What idiot decided to have a bus service and not run it on a Saturday? Lots of people use this service to get to Broxburn and Livingston for the post office, the bank and the shops, as well as work and the hospital. I'd like our service back.''

Local councillor Graeme Morrice said: ''I am extremely concerned at this reduction to the weekday service and the complete removal of the weekend service. It was something of a bombshell and we received notification at the last minute.

''I am calling on the council as a matter of urgency to raise the issue directly with First Bus. If First refuse to re-instate these services I am asking the council to provide this service itself as a subsidised route.
''If we can find the money to send councillors all over the world on unnecessary junkets I am sure they will be able to find the money to provide a badly needed bus service to Winchburgh.''

This week Martyn Day, executive councillor for development and transport at West Lothian Council, said: ''A number of changes to bus services have been introduced this week across West Lothian.

"We are aware that some concern has been expressed that these changes are adversely affecting people living in the Winchburgh area.

"We are actively looking into this matter. We will be assessing passenger numbers to try to find a suitable solution to meet the local needs of the travelling public."

A spokesperson for First in Scotland East said: "First in Scotland East's recent service amendments in West Lothian have been made as a result of changes to tenders awarded by the local authority.''

editorial@journalandgazette.co.uk