SPT News
SPT Chair answers your questions on the state of Glasgow’s buses.
Can SPT improve my bus service?
December 18, 2009 09:30 UKNewsSPT Chairman Alistair Watson promises to improve the standard of the city's buses with new initiatives brought in to help improve the quality of buses for the public. Here are his answers to some of your biggest bus service concerns.
Why is the city jammed with buses at peak times but you can't get one at night?
"In Scotland almost all bus services are run by private bus companies. Those operators exist to make a profit. The greatest potential for them to make money is in the morning and evening peak periods when passenger numbers are highest. They may be less inclined to operate buses at night when there aren't enough passengers to cover the cost of operating the bus. SPT gets money from the Government to plug the gaps in service but we cannot cover every route without a service as the money doesn't stretch that far."
Why do some bus stops have shelters but others do not?
"This is another case of who is responsible for what. The provision of bus shelters is principally a matter for the local councils, only some of which employ SPT to manage their maintenance. Shelters are usually provided where a high number of passengers are guaranteed, or in particularly exposed locations. Ask your local councillor."
Why are some buses modern, green and safe while others are just 'rust buckets'?
"No bus should be a rust bucket, they should all be safe and should have very stringent checks regularly for roadworthiness. It's clear from the condition of some vehicles that you see on the road that these regulations are not always observed. Old buses are not necessarily unsafe but certainly not likely to be up to the latest environmental standards. There are no regulations at present which require bus operators to provide the latest, green vehicles."
Is it legal for a bus to pick up a passenger in the outer lane while a bus is parked at the stop?
"No it is not because such practices jeopardise the safety of the passengers. These practices can be reported to the police or the local council roads department who both have a road-safety responsibility.
Why can't we have smartcard technology like they do in London?
"First of all the good news is that in the SPT area plans are well developed to launch a transport smartcard in Glasgow during 2010. The Oyster card's been in use for a while because London never had the full blown de-regulation of bus services that came to the rest of the country and Transport for London - the regional transport authority - still controls the entire London network; setting routes, contracts, fares and information. That makes it easy to make smartcard availability a condition of any bus franchise contract and therefore on every bus. Secondly, the UK Government has made loads of money available to Transport for London to back the introduction of smartcards - not so here."
Why can Edinburgh manage with only a couple of bus operators while Glasgow has scores?
At the time of deregulation in 1986, Edinburgh Council decided to create an arms-length company - Lothian Buses. It operates independently of the council but because it is not entirely privately owned, it does not have to meet the normal private company needs of guaranteeing significant investment returns for shareholders. The money Lothian Buses makes has been re-invested in modern buses and also keeping fares relatively low, making it difficult for private bus companies to compete. In that regard, they have been very successful in stopping new operators from entering the local bus market. However, the next couple of years could be crucial because there are reports that Lothian Buses has made losses recently - partly because of the tram works - which may mean a change.
When I come to work on the bus in the morning, my driver waits until the competition arrives then drives out just before him to capture all the passengers on the way into the city. Is this legal?
"Not unless that is the scheduled timetable. Buses should operate to the registered timetable rather than trying simply to beat the competition. It's regrettable that such tactics can be seen quite often as operators fight for passengers on the more lucrative routes. Private bus operators can't be forced to take a more passenger-focussed approach by co-ordinating the running times of buses. In the long term such an approach would improve bus services for passengers and encourage more people to travel by bus, which in turn would benefit the operators."
I am a pensioner and have trouble getting on the right bus because sometimes the driver just has the number on a sheet of paper on his dashboard and no proper signage. Can this be fixed?
"Every passenger has the right to complain if a bus does not have the proper signs for its route. Details for who you can contact are available on this website. SPT's Bus Wardens observe the standards of bus companies on such issues and report to Scotland's Traffic Commissioner."
What is the Fastlink bus service that the Government said it would support in Glasgow?
"Fastlink is the name given to SPT's plan for a fast bus service with modern vehicles which would run on dedicated bus corridors and have the best infrastructure. The plans set out by SPT include a number of corridors for dedicated bus-ways for Fastlink. The south west corridor would run from the city centre via Pacific Quay to Govan and the Southern General, then onwards to Braehead and Renfrew. There's also a northern line to Clydebank and an eastern one to the East End. The Fastlink proposition would be a superb solution to city street congestion. However, the bottom line here is what funding would be available for the creation of Fastlink."
Why doesn't SPT ban rogue bus operators?
"We get asked that a lot. It suggests that the travelling public think that local transport authorities like SPT should have legal powers to take action against rogue operators. We don't at the moment. It may be that the Government will look at this in the future. At present the most forward-looking bus companies are discussing contracts and more with local councils and SPT on the quality of the services they provide. We think that is a positive step forward."
