17 July 2007
Joining up journeys to the Glasgow River Festival
SPT's free bus initiative boosts event attendance figures
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport's free shuttle buses to last weekend's Glasgow River Festival proved a big hit with visitors to the popular event, providing 13,000 complimentary journeys.
Ten special bus services were laid on from Glasgow city centre, Easterhouse, Springburn, Drumchapel, Pollok, Castlemilk, Kilmarnock, Hamilton and Greenock to take families to the event, on a first come first served basis.
Saturday proved to be the busiest day of the festival with city centre shuttle buses running full most of the day. The services from Kilmarnock, Hamilton and Greenock proved so popular on the first day, that SPT's partner organisation First Glasgow, sent double decker buses to Kilmarnock to meet Sunday's expected demand.
Attendance at this year's Glasgow River Festival was up 14% on the 2006 figure, with 85,000 people enjoying the fun packed days on land and water this year.
Assistant Chief Executive Gordon Maclennan was pleased with the impact of the free buses on attendance levels saying: "We wanted to make it easier for people to get to the Glasgow River Festival and are absolutely delighted that the free shuttle buses proved so popular with visitors.
"This is a first for us and I believe the improved public transport links played a big part in the success of this year's River Festival."
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