30 May 2008
Wardens to scrutinise more bus services
Our Bus Wardens scheme has now been expanded into North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire.
Along with existing schemes, SPT’s Service Compliance Inspectors have now started work on behalf of North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire councils and the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland.
The wardens will enforce bus regulations as part of our ongoing efforts to drive up standards and they will begin their work in Coatbridge and Kirkintilloch.
In total, SPT has now recruited 10 wardens who also operate in Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire.
Chair of SPT, Councillor Alistair Watson, said: "We want to make sure bus operators are doing what they’ve agreed to do. Bus services have to improve if we are to encourage more people to use them.
“The bus wardens will ensure operators run the services they have registered with the Traffic Commissioner and to the standard required.
'Public perception'
"There are a number of congestion hotspots in North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire so the wardens will be targeting those areas to improve traffic flow."
SPT Vice-Chair, Councillor David Fagan, said: "There is a clear public perception that quality must improve and, while the majority of private operators attempt to provide a good level of service, standards across the Strathclyde area are not consistent.
"What we are trying to do here is make sure that passengers will be guaranteed first-class service in both North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire no matter which bus operator they use."
The scheme has already proved successful elsewhere in Strathclyde.
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| Councillor Fagan and Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken at the launch of the new schemes. |
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Since the bus wardens began operating in Paisley in November, they have moved on 1,150 buses found sitting at stops longer than they should have.
They have also recorded 209 instances of buses not displaying the correct information and moved on 261 buses parked illegally at stops.
The scheme was also introduced in Hamilton on 15 February. Since then the inspectors have found 41 buses sitting at bus stops longer than necessary.
In addition, 41 drivers have been asked to turn their engines off and 49 buses were found to be illegally parked.
Since the introduction of the bus wardens in East Renfrewshire last month, five drivers have been asked to switch off their engines and six have been found to be displaying incorrect destination information.
The Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, Joan Aitken, said: "More people depend on bus travel in Strathclyde than any other area of Scotland.
"I hope this initiative will spell the end to poor performing operations in the west of Scotland.
"I want all passengers to have a good experience of taking the bus."