Bus services in Glasgow to revert to public control

Bus services in Glasgow are set to come under public control following a decision made by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) today, March 15.

SPT believe the new partnership could ‘revolutionise’ public transport in the city - with the hope that the move will solve both the short-term and long-term transport issues bus services are facing in the west of Scotland.

The deal would see bus services in Glasgow and the west of Scotland come under public control operated by SPT. The current deregulated network would be replaced with a franchise system, similar to the way buses in London and Manchester operate.

Bus firms would bid for contracts within an approved network and a public body would set the routes, the timetable, the frequency and collect fares. Less popular but strategically important routes would be subsidised by busier, more popular routes.

Work will now begin on taking bus services under public control, in line with the requirements of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. SPT expect the process to take between five and seven years - costing an estimated £15m.

It's expected that SPT will establish Bus Service Improvements Partnerships (BSIP) in a bid to “stabilise and improve” bus transport in the city during the process to take bus services under public control. They would agree contracts with bus firms to run services. SPT predict improvement will require at least 200 more buses across the region and a multi-million pound subsidy.

Proposals for the franchise changes are expected to go out to public consultation in April.

SPT chair Councillor Stephen Dornan (SNP) said: “This is a bold and ambitious plan from SPT which sets a strong approach to tackle a declining bus market.

“It gives us opportunities to build for growth, and deliver a network that is attractive, accessible, and affordable to both passengers in our communities who rely on the bus to get around and those who we need to get ‘onboard’ by offering an attractive alternative to the private car.

“However, any franchising option will take time and investment to establish so we need to look at doing something now to halt the declining bus market.

“BSIPs, which also require suitable investment, offer the best opportunity for a significant, interim improvement while we work to establish the world-class local bus franchise model the people of the west of Scotland deserve.

“In order to progress any of these options, we need investment from the Scottish Government which now has to step up with real funding and a commitment to support public transport, particularly bus which for too long has been forgotten and now requires urgent action.”

A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said: “The Scottish Government has now delivered all the bus powers within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 to enable local transport authorities to consider all the powers available to them, including partnership working, franchising and local authority run services which sit alongside their ability to subsidise services.

“The bus provisions in the 2019 Act empower local transport authorities with the flexible tools they need to respond to their own transport challenges and we welcome SPT’s decision to explore all available bus powers as part of their Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy."

SPT Chief Executive Valerie Davidson said: “The recommendations being taken forward to the SPT Partnership for wider consultation sets a strong approach to tackle a declining bus market, build for growth, and deliver a network that is attractive, accessible, and affordable to passengers and communities. 

“While local bus franchising offers the greatest certainty for the best outcomes, it will take time to establish, and maintaining the status quo in that time is not sustainable. The facts are we need to do something now to halt the declining bus market and BSIPs, supported by suitable investment, offer scope for significant an interim improvement which could start that work while we begin the process of establishing a local franchise model and start to build for growth. 

“I encourage everyone with an interest in the future of bus services in the region to participate in our upcoming consultation and let us know what you think of our proposed options for the future of bus in the region.”

Not everyone is pleased with the proposal however, Scottish bus firm McGill's have hinted that they may take legal action if SPT continues plans to take bus services in Glasgow under public control.

Bus firm McGill’s, owned by Sandy and James Easdale, has said legal action could be taken over the plan. The company’s CEO, Ralph Roberts, said: “Franchising is effectively confiscation of a business that has been built in good faith over many years with investors’ funds and it raises a host of legal implications.

“It goes against every sense of natural justice and we would take this to every court in the land and beyond.”

He added he “cannot imagine how they are going to find £100m per year to subsidise franchised bus services in Strathclyde”

“Bus use is declining because local authorities haven’t done their job to help bus users,” he claimed. “Our advice is simple and based on proven experience.”