I think what can be deduced is that West Lothian is reasonable bus territory for one bus operator providing the core network but not two in competition. The 1986 Transport Act for good or ill relieved bus operators from providing services (and journeys) they chose (for whatever reason) no longer to provide. If an operator chose to ditch something that was a great money spinner then another operator could step in and provide it commercially if it wished. If something that was ditched was a financial squib then the onus was/is 100% on the local council to judge whether there was/is a social need for its continued operation in which case the council could invite operators to tender for award of a contract to run it on its behalf. If the local council chose not to fund it e.g. because it was skint, that's not a matter for the bus operators to lose sleep over. If the fare-paying/pass-holding punters don't like it their quarrel is really with those who voted in the Thatcher government who deregulated the industry, despite the tendency of local politicians and occasionally council officials and sometimes bus enthusiasts to blame commercial bus operators for "unreasonable service cuts" and "making obscene profits" when the reality is that they are largely functioning with the deck of cards dealt to them back in 1986.It could be said that they have made Livingston a success by changing the way it operates, out with the service work which doesn't bring in revenue and bring in Flixbus and BrightBus which does.