NEARLY nine in 10 Glasgow residents say local busses aren’t good enough, according to a new report into the services.
Campaigners are now calling for the creation of a publicly owned bus company after the new report found widespread dissatisfaction with services across the city and the wider Strathclyde region.
The report, produced jointly by Living Rent, Get Glasgow Moving and Common Weal, argues that residents are being let down by an "expensive, unreliable and publicly subsidised" bus network and calls for sweeping reforms, including bus franchising and the introduction of a municipal operator.
Among its recommendations, the report urges the Scottish Government to introduce legislation to simplify bus franchising powers and provide an additional £100 million a year for five years to support the transition.
It also calls on Glasgow City Council and the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to establish a publicly owned bus company, initially focused on running affordable night-time services across the city.
The report claims that, despite being a private network, half of bus operator revenue in Strathclyde still comes from public funding.
Campaigners also highlighted the cost of travelling by bus in Glasgow, noting that a single journey with First Bus costs £3.25, compared with £2.40 on Edinburgh's publicly owned Lothian Buses and £1.75 on Transport for London's network.
Living Rent says that they surveyed more than 300 bus users and found overwhelming dissatisfaction with services.
According to the findings, 86% of respondents described Glasgow's buses as "bad" or "very bad", while more than half said services were unreliable, frequently cancelled or consistently late.
Many respondents said they actively avoided using buses, with some claiming their commutes had doubled in length and others saying poor night-time services had forced them to turn down work shifts.
Shettleston resident Pete said: “It’s expensive at the best of times, and unreliable after a night shift. With no frequent and reliable night bus, I have to choose between waiting at the stop in the freezing cold, walking half an hour home in the dark at my own risk, or paying even more money for a taxi.”
Another survey participant described Glasgow's buses as "the most expensive and least reliable" form of transport in the city, while another said: "We pay good money for a service and we get nothing back."
The report also points to a series of route reductions in recent years, including cuts to night services and changes to routes serving communities in the east and south of Glasgow, arguing that private operators have too much power to withdraw services with little democratic oversight.
Campaigners say a publicly owned operator would allow profits to be reinvested into services, improve integration with the Subway and rail network and ensure that less profitable routes continue to operate.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government recognises that bus services are vital in not only providing people with access to the services and facilities that they need, but in tackling the climate emergency.
"Through legislation, we have given local transport authorities powers on partnership working, franchising, and to run their own bus services.”
"Our approach enables local transport authorities to determine what is best to address any transport challenges in their local areas. It is for them to determine, what if any, of these powers they want to use. We encourage all local transport authorities to consider the full range of tools available to them, to ensure that everyone has accessible public transport regardless of where they are in Scotland.
"Over 2 million children, young people, disabled and older people in Scotland are now benefiting from free bus travel, making over 3 million journeys every week.”
"Decisions on local bus services, routes, frequencies and vehicle types are for operators to make, but any changes must be consistent with the processes enforced by the Traffic Commissioner. Local authorities also have a duty to identify where there is a social need for particular bus services and can subsidise these at their discretion."
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “Public transport is a vital part of Glasgow’s sustainable transport future, and of particular importance in supporting many communities across the city.”
“Our transport strategy has a substantial focus on improving bus travel and whilst we do not operate services directly, we are working with a range of partners to improve bus services for Glaswegians. These partners include SPT, which approved its Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy and accompanying action plan in recent months, including the development of bus franchising across the region.”
