PUBLIC transport providers have increased their services in the Wee County this month as they move closer to pre-lockdown levels.

Both Scotrail and First Midland announced that from Monday, August 3, they would have more trains and busses running and more seats available.

In the case of Scotrail, the train operator is adding an additional 16 trains between Alloa and Glasgow, bringing the timetable to a half-hourly service for most of the day.

Customers will also see the introduction of additional peak services between Stirling and Glasgow Queen Street.

The change will also see a wider increase to services across the country, where more than 90 per cent of normal services will operate.

All routes will have normal early morning, late night, morning and evening peak services.

One hundred per cent of normal capacity will be provided during peak travel hours, although many seats will need to remain empty to maintain physical distancing.

Scott Prentice, Scotrail's head of business development, said: "We are delighted that we will be able to provide a boost for people travelling in Clackmannanshire.

"We hope this positive change will help the local community as we progress through the Scottish Government's Roadmap to Recovery."

And for bus operator First Midland, the company has increased services to match demand on some of their most popular routes across their network.

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser:

Vehicles have been updated with new layouts and signs to inform customers of the additional seats which have now made available on board.

However, some services will still be restricted in terms of service levels and customers are urged to refer to the First Bus website to check the full timetable information before travelling.

David Phillips, operations director for First Midland, said: "We are looking forward to welcoming back even more customers over the coming weeks and months as the vast majority of services now begin to operate nearer to pre-Covid timetable levels.

"This means that with social distancing still in place, we will have many more seats available than in recent weeks and services operating at higher frequencies."