MSP calls for publicly owned bus company in Glasgow

Glasgow Times

2 days ago

SPT has recently consulted on a plan to introduce a franchising system for buses in the city region.
It would involve the authority setting expectations for routes, timetables and fares, which bus operators would then bid to deliver.
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, writing for the Glasgow Times, sets out his position, which would see the city go even further and set up a publicly owned bus firm.
Patrick Harvie said: "Glasgow deserves world class public transport, but everyone who uses it can see that it's confusing, expensive and unreliable.
"I rely on bike, bus and train to get around, and I see the problems every day. On a recent trip to a Glasgow hospital, figuring out the bus journey was far more stressful than the medical procedure I was there for!
"Public transport is vital to connect people with opportunities, jobs and services, friends, family and basic essentials. Yet all too often people in Glasgow simply can't rely on it, making our lives harder and inequality deeper.
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"People on the sharp end of the cost of living crisis are the most reliant on buses, yet a First Bus local day ticket is now nearly £6 - and that's if they haven't already cut your bus route.
"It doesn't have to be this way! We can have bus services that serve passengers instead of profit. Campaigners like Get Glasgow Moving and the STUC have been building the case for change, and that's why I'm bringing a debate on the future of Glasgow's buses to Holyrood.
"The Scottish Greens have always made the case for cheaper and better transport, winning free bus travel for under 22s and scrapping peak rail fares, as well as investing to make it safer and easier to walk and cycle.
"Free bus travel has had an incredibly positive impact on young people's lives; 94,000 young people in Glasgow have taken just shy of 30 million free bus journeys since it was introduced in 2022.
"But bus fares should be cheap or free for everyone, all the time. But without reliable, accessible and integrated buses even free travel won't get you very far.
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"If we had publicly owned bus companies we'd deliver great results for communities. You just have to look at Lothian buses in Edinburgh - over the last decade, they've paid back a £36 million dividend to the Council that runs them. That's the norm in many parts of Europe, and cities like Manchester have made great progress in recent years too.
"So why can't we run our buses ourselves here in Glasgow too?
"SPT is already looking at how Glasgow could either commission or run bus services. But the Scottish Government must back this plan if it's going to work.
"First, we need to give councils the power to plan the routes they need and cap fares. But that's only the first step - from there we need to properly support new publicly owned bus operators.
"If we get this right, Glasgow and the wider region can achieve better buses for everyone - cheaper, more reliable, and greener. Glasgow deserves nothing less."