Latest news with #McGill's
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Man, 64, in "critical condition" following horror crash with bus
The driver of the red Honda was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow following the incident. A 64-year-old man is in a 'critical condition' following a road crash between a bus and a car in Renfrewshire. Emergency services raced to Main Road in Elderslie around 1.55pm on Tuesday afternoon following the collision that involved a red Honda Civic and a McGill's bus. The driver of the car, a 64-year-old male, was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for treatment and police have now confirmed his condition as critical. A 51-year-old female who was a passenger in the car was also taken to hospital to be checked over. The road was closed between the junction for Glenpatrick Road and the roundabout for Linwood Road and the A761 for several hours. The roundabout itself was not closed. A witness at the scene told the Paisley Daily Express: 'Even two hours after the crash, it looked quite serious. Police were putting up more tape to extend the cordon. 'We could see paramedics and police treating a person at the side of the road. They looked quite shaken up. There were lots of police cars and emergency services. It's such a busy road at the best of times and it was shut both ways. 'It was causing absolute chaos, people were doing three-point-turns and going back the direction they came as they were getting fed up waiting in the delays. It looked like a bad one – the car had suffered more damage than the bus.' The 54-year-old male driver of the bus and the passengers on board were uninjured in the incident. Police confirmed the road was reopened shortly before 8pm. Officers are continuing to review CCTV footage from the area for further information on the collision and are now appealing for witnesses. Constable Ian Brown from road policing said: 'I am appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time to contact us. Some of the bus passengers had left the scene before we arrived and I would ask them to please get in touch. "It's vital we have as much information as possible as we work to establish the full circumstances of the crash.' A spokesperson for McGill's Group added: 'We can confirm that one of our vehicles was involved in an incident on Tuesday afternoon in Elderslie, when a car collided with the bus as it was pulling into a stop. 'No passengers or the driver of the bus were injured.' Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 1797 of Tuesday, July 15.
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Billionaire brothers build new bus empire in Scotland
This week, McGill's Group hailed the seven-figure takeover of a coach company operating for seven decades in central Scotland with the acquisition of Prentice Westwood. The West Lothian-based business comes under the umbrella of the group of companies owned by Sandy and James Easdale. Bus billionaires Sandy and James Easdale. (Image: Jeff Holmes/JSHPIX) The Prentice Westwood employees will become part of the McGill's Group, and the brand will be kept. The brothers, reportedly worth £1.46 billion, have, over the past five years, they say, significantly grown their coach operations. Their company's Fly services connecting Edinburgh Airport with Dundee and Aberdeen 'have proved immensely popular', while its private coach hire business 'continues to thrive across Scotland'. McGill's also launched Loch Lomond Travel, a coach holiday division 'that has seen rapid growth and strong demand among holidaymakers', in 2023. The company is also the operator of the successful FlixBus network in Scotland and across the UK, with the international intercity service 'flourishing since its 2021 launch'. Tony Williamson, chief executive of McGill's Group, said that 'Prentice Westwood has a terrific reputation as a quality transport provider in central Scotland'. READ MORE: 'During our discussions, I was very impressed by their team, ethos and operational standards, all of which made this an easy decision.' The McGill's group of companies' turnover increased from £57.6 million to £91.2m and operating profit increased from £720,000 to £1.88m in its most recent accounts, for the year ended December 31, 2023. Robbie Prentice, owner of Prentice Westwood, said: 'We are incredibly proud of what Prentice Westwood has achieved over the past 70 years as a family enterprise. 'Joining McGill's Group represents a fantastic opportunity to secure the long-term future of the business and for our team to be part of one of the most forward-thinking and ambitious transport operators in the UK. 'The values and vision of McGill's align closely with our own, and I'm eager to see the development of the business in the coming years.' Of course the Easdale family is not the first to build a substantial transport empire in Scotland, with siblings Brian Souter and Ann Gloag founding Stagecoach, originally called Gloagtrotter. The Easdales' business interests also include real estate and housing development. Also this week, a manufacturing business which supplied bus maker Alexander Dennis has collapsed, with administrators declaring the 'withdrawal of this key contract' rendered the company 'unsustainable'. The vast bulk of the staff have been made redundant following the appointment of administrators, business editor Ian McConnell wrote. Callum Carmichael and Michelle Elliot of FRP Advisory, together with Shona Campbell of Henderson Loggie LLP, were appointed as administrators of Greenfold Systems Ltd, a specialist manufacturing business based in Dunfermline. Greenfold Systems had built longstanding relationships across the industry, with a significant proportion of its operations supporting Alexander Dennis Ltd, the administrators noted. Alexander Dennis earlier announced it was entering into a consultation around moving its Falkirk operation south of the Border.
The National
08-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Billionaire Easdale brothers acquire 70-year-old Scottish bus firm
The seven-figure deal will see Prentice Westwood join the portfolio of McGill's Group companies owned by Sandy and James Easdale. Prentice Westwood is based in West Lothian and has been operating for more than 70 years. All Prentice Westwood employees will become part of the McGill's Group, and it is anticipated the brand will be retained following the completion of the deal. READ MORE: New 'golf express' bus route from Scottish airport to St Andrews launches It comes as McGill's has expanded significantly of late, including establishing its FLY services connecting Edinburgh Airport with Dundee and Aberdeen. The company is also the operator of the FlixBus network in Scotland and across the UK. Tony Williamson, CEO of McGill's Group, said the acquisition strengthens the company's offering in central Scotland and brings further expertise into the business. He said: 'Prentice Westwood has a terrific reputation as a quality transport provider in central Scotland, and we are very pleased to welcome them into the McGill's Group. 'During our discussions, I was very impressed by their team, ethos and operational standards – all of which made this an easy decision. 'We believe Prentice Westwood will play a significant role in supporting our continued growth across coach travel in central Scotland and beyond, and we look forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the business.' The Easdale brothers (Image: Contributed) Robbie Prentice, owner of Prentice Westwood, said: 'We are incredibly proud of what Prentice Westwood has achieved over the past 70 years as a family enterprise. 'Joining McGill's Group represents a fantastic opportunity to secure the long-term future of the business and for our team to be part of one of the most forward-thinking and ambitious transport operators in the UK. 'The values and vision of McGill's align closely with our own, and I'm eager to see the development of the business in the coming years.'
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Bus firm McGill's acquires historic Scottish coach operator in seven-figure deal
'We are incredibly proud of what Prentice Westwood has achieved over the past 70 years as a family enterprise' – Robbie Prentice Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Bus operator McGill's has acquired West Lothian-based coach firm Prentice Westwood in a seven-figure expansion drive. The deal will see one of Scotland's longest-established coach companies with more than 70 years of experience join the portfolio of McGill's Group companies, owned by Scottish entrepreneurial brothers Sandy and James Easdale. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad All Prentice Westwood employees will become part of McGill's Group, and it is anticipated the well-known brand will be retained following the completion of the deal. Prentice Westwood's coaches are a familiar sight on Scotland's roads. Over the past five years, McGill's has ramped up its coach operations. Its Fly services connecting Edinburgh Airport with Dundee and Aberdeen have proved popular, while its private coach hire business continues to push across Scotland. The company is also the operator of the FlixBus network in Scotland and across the UK through a partnership agreement. Tony Williamson, chief executive of McGill's Group, said: 'Prentice Westwood has a terrific reputation as a quality transport provider in central Scotland, and we are very pleased to welcome them into the McGill's Group. 'During our discussions, I was very impressed by their team, ethos and operational standards - all of which made this an easy decision. We believe Prentice Westwood will play a significant role in supporting our continued growth across coach travel in central Scotland and beyond, and we look forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the business.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Robbie Prentice, owner of Prentice Westwood, said: 'We are incredibly proud of what Prentice Westwood has achieved over the past 70 years as a family enterprise. 'Joining McGill's Group represents a fantastic opportunity to secure the long-term future of the business and for our team to be part of one of the most forward-thinking and ambitious transport operators in the UK. 'The values and vision of McGill's align closely with our own, and I'm eager to see the development of the business in the coming years,' he added. In 2023, McGill's also launched Loch Lomond Travel, a coach holiday division that is said to have seen rapid growth and strong demand among holidaymakers.
Glasgow Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
McGill's boss hits back at Glasgow MSP public bus firm plan
McGill's, one of the Glasgow region's biggest bus firms, is vehemently opposed to the idea. Sandy Easdale, who owns McGill's with his brother JAmes has written for the Glasgow Times in response to Patrick Harvie's suggestion of publicly owned bus companies. (Image: newsquest) Sandy Easdale said: "Let's be blunt. Patrick Harvie's knowledge of transport appears to be restricted to whether or not he needs to fix a puncture on his bike. "He is also so irresponsible he doesn't feel the need to wear a helmet, a great example to young cyclists everywhere. "Mr Harvie hates cars, he hates buses. To quote Noel Gallagher, he is 'a man with a fork in a world of soup.' "Let's get factual. Strathclyde's bus services boast a very high approval rating in Transport Focus's survey — the highest in Scotland and comfortably among the UK's best. READ NEXT:Patrick Harvie MSP calls for publicly owned bus firm in Glasgow "Interestingly, the anti-bus ownership clique in Scotland keeps whining on about the great Manchester franchising experiment run by another political egomaniac, Mayor Andy Burnham. Manchester are leagues below us. "Egged on by activists and highly -paid external consultants who see the opportunity to line their own pockets, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) – which has £180m of Scottish taxpayers' money sitting in its coffers and reaped a staggering £8m in annual interest — plays the major role in this bureaucratic charade that could lead to hyper-expensive franchising. (Image: newsquest) "I warned last year that SPT's extensive wish list could cost £400m a year of Scottish taxpayers' money — a figure based on detailed expert analysis shared with McGill's Group. That's almost double the still-growing financial disaster we're seeing in Manchester. "Not one councillor, MSP, or government minister can now claim ignorance over the true cost of this madness. "Franchising cheerleaders love to parrot the line that it 'returns control to the public. READ NEXT: Glasgow's new ship hall opened in honour of woman shipbuilding pioneer "But let's be clear: McGill's was never some hand-me-down from the council — it was built from the ground up at great cost to the owners. "McGill's Group has delivered where politicians have long failed: integrating ticketing which reduces costs for passengers, introducing Euro VI buses to Scotland and the first Disability Discrimination Act compliant network in Scotland plus much more. "A business forged by years of risk and personal sacrifice — by me, my brother James, and ably steered by chairman Ralph Roberts — is now at risk of being confiscated, carved up, and auctioned off to the lowest bidder. "As James said to me only this morning, 'Why are the government and local councils even contemplating this horrendous expenditure when it has just been revealed that our cancer treatment waiting times are the worst in our country's history?' "My final word to Mr Harvie – get on your bike son and leave transport to the adults."
