SPT publications
Interchange Issue 16, published December 2007
SPT launches Bus Wardens scheme
SPT has launched Scotland’s first Bus Wardens scheme to improve standards for bus passengers.
Six bus wardens are on the streets of Paisley to make sure that bus companies are providing passengers with high quality services. The wardens will target unscrupulous bus operators in a bid to improve the standard of bus provision in Paisley town centre.
The bus wardens have been recruited by SPT and are working on behalf of Renfrewshire Council and the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland.
Chair of SPT, Councillor Alistair Watson said, “Passengers are at the heart of the bus industry and our bus wardens will help provide them with the service they deserve.
“Basically, we want to make sure bus operators are doing what they’ve agreed to do. The bus wardens will ensure operators run the services they have registered with the Traffic Commissioner and to the standard required.
“Those who are adhering to the rules have absolutely nothing to worry about. It’s the minority of rogue operators who will have to raise their game or face the consequences.”
Among the areas where action can be taken to enforce compliance are:
(a). operators not publishing a timetable;
(b). operators running to timetable;
(c). operators giving clear information of bus destinations and ownership of buses;
(d). operators having fleet colours, recognisable buses and uniformed staff.
The bus wardens have the power to insist that drivers switch off engines if the bus is delayed in stationary traffic for more than two minutes. Buses will no longer be allowed to park up in the town with their engines running, and the SPT inspectors are empowered to move buses on from bus stops as soon as passengers have boarded.
If companies are breaking the rules, they will be reported to the Traffic Commissioner who has powers to fine operators for non compliance and ultimately to withdraw licences.
The Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, Joan Aitken, praised SPT for showing priority to Strathclyde's bus users.
She said, “More people depend on bus travel in Strathclyde than any other area of Scotland. Passengers need to know that the bus will turn up when it is meant to and in a safe and pleasant condition. I want bus passengers to know who is running their bus, where it is going, that it is safe to get on and that it will run on time.
“I hope this initiative will spell the end to poor performing operations in the west of Scotland. I want to know that bus operators are obeying the law, not breaking it. So I want an end to drivers eating, drinking, smoking or using mobile phones when they should be giving full attention to the road and their passengers. I want buses to show clearly where they are going. I want it to be clear who is operating which service.”
Ms Aitken stressed the importance of bus reliability. She went on, “I want well-maintained smart buses which don't break down. I want good timetable information at bus stops. I know that there are good operators in Strathclyde and great drivers who go out of their way to assist their passengers. I want all passengers to have a good experience of taking the bus. I want full commitment to the passenger.
“I hope that the initiatives being taken by SPT, of which the Inspectors are now part, will lead to star quality bus operation in the years ahead.”
Councillor Marie McGurk, Convenor of Renfrewshire Council’s Environment and Infrastructure Board added, ”Bus services have to improve if we’re going to encourage people to leave their cars at home and use public transport. Too often passengers are faced with constantly changing timetables and buses that just don’t turn up when they should.
“The travelling public deserve a better service and these new wardens are here to make sure they get it.”
SPT’s Director of Bus Operations Eric Stewart 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 no matter which bus operator they use.”
SPT could recruit up to 20 inspectors as the initiative is rolled out to other parts of Strathclyde. Negotiations are proceeding with South Lanarkshire Council and Glasgow City Council to introduce similar operations in Hamilton and Glasgow city centre.
End of story.
Successful first year for Shields Road.
Shields Road multi-storey car park celebrated its first birthday with the news that user numbers at the facility have almost doubled.
And the latest research, carried out on behalf of SPT by MRUK Research, shows that customer satisfaction levels are at 90%.
Figures show that, between October 2006 and October 2007, 160,304 cars were parked at Shields Road car park. The figure for the whole of 2006 was almost half that – 88,079 cars.
The market research also showed that more women (58%) are using the car park than men (42%), and that 68% of users work full-time. Most (64%) arrived at the car park between 7 and 10am.
91% agreed that the new multi-storey facility – which was opened by SPT and Glasgow City Council last October – was an improvement on the previous parking facility at Shields Road.
Assistant Chief Executive of SPT, Gordon Maclennan said, “I’m delighted that the car park is proving so popular with more than 72,000 extra vehicles having used the facility in its first year. During the design phase, we paid particular attention to security so it’s especially pleasing to see that so many women are using it.”
Mr Maclennan added, “Parking and riding is an excellent way to avoid city centre congestion and take the stress out of finding a parking space. It’s becoming more popular all the time and I would advise anyone who hasn’t tried it yet to give it a go, particularly now as the race for Christmas shopping begins.”
Of those questioned in the survey, 81% said their final Subway destination from Shields Road would be either Buchanan Street or St Enoch.
The survey also asked how the public perceived the car park’s facilities. These included:
(a). presence of CCTV cameras (74% of people asked rated this as very good/ good)
(b). lighting throughout parking areas (90% very good/good)
(c). helpfulness of staff (60% very good/ good)
(d). provision of signs (77% very good/ good)
(e). overall security (89% very good/good)
(f). size of parking spaces (95% very good/good)
(g). cleanliness of car park (92% very good/good)
(h). condition of car park (93% very good/good)
End of story.
Airport rail link preparations gather pace.
Renfrewshire Council’s planning and economic development policy board has now given approval to seven design elements for key parts of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link. These include plans for St James Park viaduct, the M8 bridge crossing and the new airport station platforms.
This news signals all systems go for work to start as planned next year.
Sub-headline: Geotechnical ground investigation phase starting.
Preparatory work continues to gather pace, this time along the planned route of the new rail link.
SPT has just awarded a contract worth £1.3 million to specialist company, Soil Investigations for a detailed survey of ground conditions along the line of the planned route. The two kilometre stretch of new track, known as the St James Spur, will run from near Paisley St James station to Glasgow Airport.
The geotechnical investigation will provide civil engineers with detailed information about the ground conditions upon which the new rail link will be built. The survey work will take four months to complete and the results are vital to determining the final structure designs.
The three main sites of work – in Murray Park Business Park, St James Playing Fields and the approach route to Glasgow Airport – will soon see specialist rotary drilling equipment at work boring holes into the soil and bedrock.
Sub-headline: First of the temporary playing fields ready for handover.
In Johnstone, work on one of the most important developments for grassroots football in the west of Scotland is complete. The two Thomas Shanks pitches, off Quarrelton Road, are the first of eleven across Renfrewshire to be upgraded to league standard, courtesy of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.
The work to install new drainage, upgrade the playing surfaces and provide changing facilities has been undertaken by Cumbernauld-based Souter Sports Ltd, in a contract worth £1.5 million.
The pitches and new changing facilities are being provided to give local footballers alternative places to play the game when work starts on the planned viaduct which will bisect St James Playing Fields in Paisley.
On St James Playing Fields, all pitches will meet league standards and a modern drainage system installed to the east of the proposed viaduct crossing.
This commitment by SPT is warmly welcomed by officials of the Paisley and District Amateur League. General Secretary John Lyle said, “The Glasgow Airport Rail Link is the best thing that has ever happened to St James Playing Fields and is really important in terms of keeping football going in Renfrewshire over the next few years.”
Scottish Government extends scope of project to include key track upgrade scheme.
As reported in the last issue of Interchange, the Scottish Government took the decision in June to combine the Glasgow Airport Rail Link with a major signalling upgrade of the Paisley Rail Corridor. Network Rail engineers are well underway with that element of the recently integrated project.
The work to install portal frames for the overhead line electrification along a stretch of track between Shields Junction, near Kinning Park, Glasgow and Arkleston Junction on the outskirts of Paisley began in July and is now complete.
It was all done within railway property and the work involved excavating and pouring foundations followed by the erection of steelwork at various locations along the 9km stretch of track. Local residents bordering the existing railway line were advised in advance of work starting near their homes.
The work was managed by Network Rail and carried out by Scotland Track Renewals Company. It was completed on schedule and will help with subsequent work to install new railway infrastructure crucial to the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project.
SPT Chair Councillor Alistair Watson, an enthusiastic supporter of the airport rail link for many years, welcomed the latest progress saying, ”Since the airport rail link was given Royal Assent in January this year, SPT has been working to finalise the detailed design of the scheme.
“It’s great to see tangible evidence of work starting on the most important expansion of the west of Scotland rail network for many years.
“Work had to start on creating temporary playing fields well in advance of the viaduct construction because the pitches need time to bed down before play can start. These 11 football pitches, changing rooms and car parking facilities are going to be a huge boost for football in Renfrewshire.
“I am also delighted to see the preparatory work to upgrade signalling along the Paisley Rail Corridor completed. This work is necessary if we are all to enjoy the long term benefits that the Glasgow Airport Rail Link will bring – four trains an hour giving a reliable journey time between the city centre and the airport as well as improved rail connections from Inverclyde and Ayrshire.”
The locations of the 11 pitches are:
- one at Glenpatrick, Elderslie;
- one at Morar Drive, Paisley;
- one at Durrockstock Road, Foxbar;
- two at Lochfield Marshes, Paisley;
- two at Thomas Shanks Park, Johnstone;
- two at Ralston, Paisley;
- and two at Ferguslie Park, Paisley.
End of story.
It’s gold for Glasgow!!!
SPT was quick off the mark to help celebrate Glasgow’s successful bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Within minutes of the result being announced on Friday 9 November, work got underway to add the slogan ‘It’s gold for Glasgow’ to five Subway trailer cars. The first decorated cars were back in operation within an hour of the announcement.
News of the result was also announced via the Subway’s PA system and customer information screens so passengers could help celebrate Glasgow’s success.
SPT’s Director of Subway Operations, David Wallace, said, “We’re thrilled at the decision and we wanted to show that on our Subway trains. The Subway is a vital part of Glasgow’s transport infrastructure and we look forward to playing our part in making the Games a great success.”
SPT Chief Executive Ron Culley also expressed his delight at the success of the 2014 bid.
He said, “This is absolutely wonderful news, not only for Glasgow but for the whole of Scotland. We’d like to congratulate everyone involved in the bid for all their hard work – they simply weren’t prepared to accept second place.
“Transport will play a huge role in the success of the Games and SPT looks forward to playing its part in providing an efficient and reliable transport network that Glasgow can be proud of. We want to make it easy and stress-free for competitors, spectators and everyone involved in the Games to get around the city.
“SPT has big ideas. We want to match the ambition shown by those who have brought the Games to Glasgow. To achieve this, we look forward to working closely with the Scottish Government and our partners on a number of projects.”
End of story.
Subway: new line west-east?
SPT is investigating plans for a west-east extension of the Subway which could run from Yorkhill hospital in the west to Parkhead in the east.
The proposals could present a more economical solution to calls for extending the Subway after a previous report put the cost of an Eastern Circle at an estimated £2.3 billion.
SPT Chief Executive Ron Culley said the extension – which would involve using existing disused railway tunnels – could be the first step in the modernisation of the Subway.
He said, “We’re very excited by these plans but there is a long way to go yet. We’re now carrying out a feasibility study to look into the technical possibilities and whether or not the figures add up. Then we will have to investigate where the funding for this project would come from.”
SPT Chair, Cllr Alistair Watson added, “There is great potential to use Glasgow's legacy of disused railway infrastructure, because we must ensure any solutions provide the public purse with good value for money. We’re under no illusion that Glasgow, as a 21st century city, needs a modern Subway.”
While a Subway extension requires long-term investment, in the medium term SPT has recently spent over £3 million to begin modernising the current system.
The spending has included £1.7 million to upgrade the Subway’s rolling stock which involves complete refurbishment of eight trailer cars.
On the technical side, the cars are being fitted with new suspension and braking systems. The couplings that link trailers together will also be renewed and the interior upholstery will be completely replaced with a contemporary colour scheme, again in line with SPT colours.
New interior lighting is being installed to make it easier for visually impaired passengers to identify doors, contrasts and seating. Other improvements to the trailer cars include a redesign of interior hand rails, in line with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
By spring next year, the Subway will also have a new state-of-the-art public announcement system after SPT awarded a contract worth £530,600 to Advance Integrated Systems Ltd.
The Subway’s existing Public Address Voice Alarm (PAVA) is more than 15 years old and is now being made obsolete by advances in technology.
The new system will improve the standard of information for passengers by providing clearer announcements with less background noise and will make it possible to pre-programme automatic safety and information announcements to be broadcast at timed intervals.
SPT has also invested a further £542,000 upgrading the Subway, with around £400,000 being spent on measures to improve the system’s DDA-compliance.
These measures include: improved station lighting; improved signage; installing customer call points; improved disabled parking, and making alterations to walls, stairs and barriers to aid visually impaired passengers.
A further £85,000 is being spent to improve the electronic door entry system in stations as well as £57,000 to better maintain the network's CCTV system.
In August, SPT unveiled an extension to its Subway maintenance depot at Broomloan. The new £163,000 stores building was constructed by Scottish builder Rok and will allow repairs and maintenance work to be carried out more efficiently.
Director of Subway operations for SPT, David Wallace said, “Bit by bit we are making improvements to the Subway. We can’t provide an overnight change but we’ve started the modernisation process and step by step we’ll provide passengers with a better service.”
End of story.
Action stations!
The Subway found itself at the centre of the biggest ever test of emergency procedures in Glasgow one Sunday evening in June.
Operation Crystal, as it was codenamed, was designed to test responses to a series of incidents in the city’s Subway system which would place all emergency services on full alert.
The operation began just before 8pm with “news” that a Subway train had been halted between Kelvinbridge and St George's Cross stations following reports of an explosion.
Shortly after that, another alert was announced – this time at Shields Road station on the south side of Glasgow. A second train had been halted after reports of a fire on board.
There then followed a full scale mobilisation of all emergency services – Fire, Strathclyde Police, the Scottish Ambulance Service and British Transport Police, – along with staff from SPT. All eighty officers taking part responded as though they were in a real life emergency.
Shortly after 8pm, the car park at Kelvinbridge was crowded with fire engines, police vehicles and ambulances.
Operation Crystal saw the fire service entering Subway tunnels at Kelvinbridge to organise the evacuation of five passengers and the driver from the train. The passengers and driver were brought up to the car park at Kelvinbridge and given attention from attending medical staff.
The fire service then withdrew to allow the police to undertake a detailed investigation of the train and tunnels to establish what could have caused the incident.
Similar emergency procedures were initiated at Shields Road. As part of the Operation, there were no casualties reported at Shields Road.
While this was going on, a further alert was received from St Enoch station of a van parked unusually near the entrance. Due investigation proved this to be a false alarm.
An emergency control unit involving all services and an emergency media unit were established at SPT’s Subway maintenance depot in Govan throughout the exercise.
A full post-exercise debriefing allowed all those taking part to exchange useful information.
SPT Chief Executive Ron Culley said, “All the reports indicate that it was an extremely useful exercise to test the readiness of all involved in the event of a possible emergency. Of course this was an exercise, but it was still useful to test procedures should the city be confronted with a real emergency at some time in the future.”
End of story.
SPT project wins prestigious railway award.
The highly successful Larkhall-Milngavie rail project won public recognition after a panel of experts awarded it a Railway Innovation Award. The project won the coveted Best Achievement through Teamwork category in a nationwide competition.
Representatives from project leader Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and main contractor Carillion Rail collected the award at a ceremony in London on 27 June.
The £35 million Larkhall-Milngavie project was formally opened by former First Minister Jack McConnell MSP in December 2005, having been completed on time and on budget. Since then, passenger numbers have exceeded all expectations.
Funding for the project came from the Scottish Executive and SPT, with support from South Lanarkshire Council. The project development and implementation was managed by Network Rail while construction was by Carillion Rail. All train services are operated by First ScotRail.
Reflecting on the award, Chair of SPT, Councillor Alistair Watson said, “This was a hugely successful project which is well-worthy of this award. It involved a huge amount of partnership working and I'm delighted it has been recognised.
“The project has delivered many benefits to passengers across the west of Scotland and patronage figures since it opened have exceeded our original predictions.”
Malcolm Reed, Chief Executive of Transport Scotland said, “I am delighted that the hard work of the team involved in the Larkhall-Milngavie rail project has been recognised at a UK level.
“The sterling effort put in by the team to ensure the success of this project is reflected in the demand for the service, with 340,000 passengers travelling in the first year – an increase of 53% more than projected.”
Councillor Chris Thompson, Chair of South Lanarkshire Council’s Enterprise Resources Committee said, “The partnership working in this project is a proven winner and the success of the new rail link is there for all to see. Passenger numbers are testimony to that.”
Ron McAulay, Director of Network Rail in Scotland said, “Network Rail worked closely with SPT in delivering this investment in the network.
“Focussing on improving services like this demonstrates the true value of industry partnership for our customers, supporting local communities to grow and prosper. It has been a resounding success and we're delighted to see so many passengers using the new service.”
The Larkhall-Milngavie project also received a commendation at the Scottish Transport Awards held in Glasgow on 29 October 2007.
End of story
SPT Chair meets MSPs.
Since the Scottish Parliament elections in May, SPT Chair Councillor Alistair Watson has been busy sharing SPT’s vision for the future with as many MSPs as possible.
Cllr Watson has now met around 40 of the country’s top politicians and is pleased with the encouraging response he has received to many of SPT’s forthcoming priority projects.
Among the issues discussed at the various meetings are the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL), Glasgow Crossrail, high-speed rail, the bus industry and SPT’s proposals to modernise and extend the Subway.
Cllr Watson said, “The purpose of the meetings is for MSPs – old and new – to be informed about what SPT does and our plans for the future. Transport is a critical topic for all politicians. The meetings have also provided MSPs with the chance to raise transport issues with us, whether they are local or national issues.
“I feel I’ve achieved what I set out to do but this is an on-going process and my aim is to meet as many MSPs, and MPs, as I can.”
Among the MSPs Cllr Watson has already met are Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Jack McConnell, Cathy Jamieson, Patrick Harvie and Annabel Goldie.
End of story.
Chief Executive security update
Following the shocking terrorist attack at Glasgow Airport at the height of the summer holiday season, Chief Executive Ron Culley used the August Partnership meeting to let members know what steps SPT has taken to counteract the threat of terrorism.
Mr Culley said, “Security is taken very seriously by SPT. Following the appointment of a Head of Security last year, we have professionalised our security services and now deploy British Transport Police round the clock to ensure passenger safety. We further supplement this with other security forces.“
SPT has carried out intensive security checks using one of the companies that inspected US airports and ports after the 9/11 attacks in New York and has introduced a number of measures to protect the public. Mr Culley outlined SPT’s action plan to improve these further by target-hardening our stations and deploying more staff in customer-facing roles.
“Exercises between ourselves, the police and the emergency services, which are unseen by the public, have reassured us that our measures at Subway and bus stations are robust,” he said.
“We have taken action to increase security in every area of our operations. Unfortunately, in the current climate, there are no guarantees but the public should know that we’re doing all we can to ensure their safety.”
End of story.
SPT hosts Subway conference
SPT recently welcomed some of Europe’s top public transport professionals to Glasgow.
Delegates from the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) took part in a two-day Subway conference hosted by SPT.
During the seminar, the delegates – from the Metropolitan Railways Division of the UITP – discussed research findings of ongoing studies covering life cycle costs of Subway stations and equipment, certification of new constructions, management of spare parts, safe intelligent systems on rail infrastructures and ventilation in metro stations.
SPT’s Director of Subway Operations, David Wallace, said, “This conference brought together transport experts from across Europe. It was an excellent chance for us all to learn from each other and discuss the transport issues we face. It was also a great opportunity for us to promote our Subway.”
The delegates attending the conference were from as far afield as Barcelona, Milan, Paris, London, Hong Kong, Berlin, Lisbon, Athens, Brussels and Vienna.
End of story.
All change at Travel Centres.
SPT has made changes at two of its Travel Centres to provide improved travel information for passengers.
In Paisley, SPT has joined forces with VisitScotland to create a new one-stop shop for tourism and travel information by relocating the Travel Centre from Causeyside Street to the VisitScotland tourist information centre on Gilmour Street.
Meanwhile, travel information will now be more readily available across North Lanarkshire after SPT decided to replace the existing Travel Centre in Cumbernauld with ten Travel Points across the region.
Paisley Travel Centre was relocated to the VisitScotland centre at the beginning of October to expand and simplify the range of services available to customers and improve the efficiency of enquiries for visitors.
Announcing the move, Chair of SPT, Councillor Alistair Watson said, “This is a hugely positive move which I’m delighted about. It will create a one-stop shop for tourism and travel enquiries in a newly-refurbished office in the centre of Paisley. I hope members of the public will enjoy the new joint facility.”
The decision to combine travel and tourism information services was taken by SPT and VisitScotland in consultation with Renfrewshire Council. The move did not involve any changes to staff numbers – the three Travel Centre staff members were relocated to the new premises to join the three VisitScotland staff.
VisitScotland area director for Greater Glasgow Tom McWilliam said, “We are committed to providing the best possible services for the promotion and development of tourism that will benefit visitors, residents and local tourism businesses. This partnership with SPT is great news for everyone, and especially for visitors to Paisley, who will now visit a centre offering one of the best range of services in the country, all in one place.”
Councillor Derek Mackay, leader of Renfrewshire Council said, “We are very pleased that we’ve managed to bring these two crucial visitor services together in a win-win situation for Paisley. This move marks the start of an exciting new era for the town centre that will have benefits for residents and improve the experience for visitors.”
In North Lanarkshire, SPT is creating ten new Travel Points following a recent review of travel information provision in the area. The review concluded that the public would be better served if SPT and North Lanarkshire Council joined forces.
SPT has already successfully established a Travel Point in the council’s First Stop Shop community facility in Airdrie. Travel Points will now be introduced in the region’s ten other First Stop Shops, including the First Stop Shop in Cumbernauld town centre.
Gordon Maclennan, Assistant Chief Executive of SPT said, “We are confident that this arrangement will provide passengers with more accessible travel information at convenient locations across the region, and I am pleased that we’ve been able to work closely with North Lanarkshire Council to come up with this proposal.”
“Our aim is to widen the availability of information for our customers. Having looked at several options, we feel the best solution is to close the existing Travel Centre when its lease expires in May and instead create ten travel points in First Stop Shops across North Lanarkshire. That way, people will be able to access their local Travel Point, or get information via the internet, rather than have to travel to one central location.”
SPT Vice-Chair and North Lanarkshire councillor, David Fagan added, “Staff from North Lanarkshire Council have been working closely with SPT to develop this initiative that will deliver better and wider bus information throughout the area and provide an opportunity for local businesses to be involved in making ticket sales more accessible.”
To improve travel information in the key arrival and departure point, Central Way, SPT plans to expand its Electronic Passenger Information system at the bus stops in this location. The electronic system provides timetable information about bus departures 24 hours a day and works successfully in SPT’s bus stations. Paper-based information at each departure point will also be improved.
Councillor Fagan commented further, “In Cumbernauld, the proposed electronic information system will enhance the work recently undertaken by the council that has seen the introduction of bus stop restrictions and separate layover areas designed to improve safety at the bus stops.”
SPT is planning new measures to make it easier for customers to purchase tickets and apply for concessionary card travel passes locally. These include:
(a). an online ticket purchase facility;
(b) the network of ZoneCard ticket agents in North Lanarkshire expanded from three to 12;
(c).. possible provision of Concessionary Travel Scheme agents in all First Stop Shops; and
(d). availability of SPT ZoneCards at First ScotRail staffed stations.
End of story.
Ring’n’Ride to the rescue.
SPT’s Ring‘n’Ride Service came to the rescue recently to help a couple from Girvan celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.
Without the bus service, Robert and Isa Saville would have been stuck at home on their special day. Instead, they booked the Ring‘n’Ride service to take Mrs Saville, who is confined to a wheelchair, from her nursing home to the Southfield Hotel in Girvan where they enjoyed a special celebration with the rest of their family.
The couple’s grandson-in-law, Warren Barclay said, “Without this bus service we would not have been able to leave the nursing home to celebrate their anniversary as we are not capable of transporting our grandmother in a car, nor are there any local taxis capable of transporting a disabled passenger in a wheelchair.
“We are in full support of increased promotion of this service as it could provide the necessary mobility to others who may be in a similar situation.”
End of story.
Renfrew Ferry feasibility study to go ahead.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is to carry out a feasibility study to look at future options for the Renfrew-Yoker ferry service.
The study will investigate the costs and benefits of providing an opening pedestrian bridge as an alternative option for the link between Renfrew and Yoker.
SPT members have agreed to part-fund the three-month study at a cost of £30,000. Scottish Enterprise (Renfrewshire) will provide the remaining £30,000.
The two ferries which currently operate the Renfrew-Yoker service will need to be replaced within two years. Because of their age, they have become increasingly costly and difficult to maintain, and neither ferry is compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The estimated cost to replace both ferries and make them DDA compliant is around £2 million.
The study will investigate the footbridge option and compare the costs and benefits of continuing the ferry service with new or refurbished vessels.
SPT Assistant Chief Executive, Gordon Maclennan said: “This is not a recommendation to close the Renfrew-Yoker ferry.
“Given that the current vessels will be beyond repair in just two years, we feel it is the perfect time to look at all our options and decide which will be most cost-effective and which will most improve the customer experience.
“We’re asking the question, would a pedestrian footbridge be a viable and practical option? But similarly, we’re investigating the option of continuing the existing service.”
Renfrewshire Council Leader Derek Mackay said: “A link between Renfrew and Yoker is vital for Renfrewshire and the West of Scotland and it's important that we look at all the social, transport, economic and environmental issues involved in maintaining and improving this connection.”
The Renfrew-Yoker Ferry carries around 150,000 passengers a year. Single crossings cost £1 per adult. However, the subsidy for this is around £400,000 a year which means that each journey is subsidised by the taxpayer by around £2.70.
End of story.
First stage of Partick regeneration scheme complete.
The challenging project to transform Partick station into a modern transport interchange took a step forward as the new ticket office opened for business.
The ticket office is now located in its new permanent site at the station entrance in Merkland Street.
The creation of the new ticket office is a significant project milestone. It clears away part of the old station interior to allow important foundation works for the new station concourse to begin.
As well as the normal ticket sales and journey planning services, passengers using the new ticket office will be able to get real time information about the arrival and departure of Subway and railway services.
Partick station is a major public transport hub and is the fifth busiest station in Scotland. It is set to become even busier as the exciting regeneration of the Clyde Waterfront continues at Glasgow Harbour.
Originally the end date for the contract was spring 2007. However, the unforeseen technical difficulties of building a new station on top of the existing Subway and heavy rail system have taken their toll. As a result, contractor C Spencer Ltd has revised the expected completion date to August 2008.
Further critical works are scheduled for the winter months and SPT is monitoring progress on a weekly basis.
The estimated costs are still within the project budget limits which stand at £12.3 million. In the event that this delay should incur additional costs, then both parties will sit down for the normal construction industry negotiations about liability.
SPT Chair Councillor Alistair Watson said, ”The creation of the new ticket office is a significant milestone in the Partick Interchange project. We lost precious time at the start of this year when work on the project was suspended for three months.
“The ticket office opening is much more positive news. Our regeneration plans are ambitious and rebuilding Partick station continues to be a challenging project, because we’re building around a fully operational Subway and railway station.”
Councillor Watson said SPT would continue to inform the local community about schedules for building work and thanked local people for their patience and understanding.
End of story.
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SPT EXPRESS is SPT’s new email newsletter.
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The January issue will have a big story about buses and a Bob Wylie video about the Subway.
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End of story.
SPT joins up additional 40,000 journeys this summer.
SPT’s summer campaign of bus sponsorship concluded in great style with the ‘freshnlo’ Great Scottish Run on Sunday 2 September.
The ‘freshnlo’ Great Scottish Run is SPT’s fourth bus sponsorship arrangement this year. It has proved a big hit, with around 40,000 people taking up free travel offers to four major events staged in Glasgow.
SPT’s initiative was devised to help large numbers of people from across west central Scotland get to high profile events by public transport.
For the ‘freshnlo’ Great Scottish Run, SPT arranged for all competitors – with up to three companions each – to travel free by bus to and from Glasgow on the race day by presenting a special travel voucher to the driver.
Extra bus services from Baljaffrey and Airdrie were provided, departing earlier than timetabled for Sundays, to take runners to George Square in time for the start.
Vouchers were also issued for free parking at SPT’s four Park and Ride car parks.
The Subway began operation earlier than usual for a Sunday, starting at 7.30am to transport runners to the starting line at George Square. Again, free travel was offered to and from the event for participants and their companions.
The summer campaign underlines SPT’s commitment to a key policy objective – getting more people out of cars and on to public transport. It is hoped that by giving people a good travel experience on the bus, they will be more encouraged to give bus travel a go in the future.
For the UEFA Cup final between Sevilla FC and RCD Espanyol at Hampden Park in May, SPT laid on a shuttle service involving 30 special buses to take 8,000 fans from Buchanan bus station to the national stadium and back again after the match.
Nearly one in four runners in the Resolution Asset Management Women’s 10k race chose to travel to the event by public transport. Almost 5,000 took up the chance of using SPT’s free bus, Subway and parking offer.
This year’s Glasgow River Festival attracted record numbers – 85,000 in total – and organisers agree that SPT’s free transport was largely responsible for boosting visitor levels.
Gordon Maclennan, Assistant Chief Executive of SPT said, “We’re delighted with the success of our summer bus sponsorship campaign
“The bus is the public transport workhorse in the west of Scotland because of its ability to access all parts of the SPT area.”
Mr Maclennan observed that, with the Subway system at the heart of Glasgow’s transport network, the combination of free bus travel and parking worked well to give people an element of choice.
He went on, “We’re working hard with business partners to make public transport more attractive so that it becomes the travel mode of choice, not last resort.”
Free bus initiative gives boost to River Festival.
SPT's free shuttle buses to the Glasgow River Festival in July 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 two fun-packed days on land and water this year.
End of story.
'Cycle friendly employer' award for SPT.
SPT has been named by Cycling Scotland as a ‘Cycle Friendly Employer’.
The award comes as recognition of the measures SPT has put in place to help and encourage staff to cycle to work.
Brian Curtis MBE, a director of Cycling Scotland, presented SPT with three Cycle Friendly Employer certificates, for improvements made at Consort House, Broomloan and Buchanan bus station.
Measures introduced by SPT include:
(a). a Bike Users Group (BUG) for staff – there are currently 24 members and numbers continue to grow;
(b). a Cycle to Work Initiative – staff can lease a bike from SPT for 12 months with payments made direct from their salaries. At the end of the lease period, staff are offered the chance to purchase the bike for a reasonable price. 22 staff members took up the scheme during the first round. The next round will take place early next year;
(c). improved cycle parking for staff – new facilities installed at Broomloan and the Renfrew Ferry;
(d). improved shower and changing facilities for staff;
(e). bicycle mileage allowance of 20p per mile;
(f). improved cycle information available for SPT employees, including route information, cycle safety information and special events.
Sustainable Development manager for SPT, Keri Stewart said: “We're delighted to receive this award as we've worked hard to provide the necessary facilities to make it easier for SPT staff to cycle to work. We’re pleased with the way staff have responded and hope the number of staff who choose to get on their bikes will continue to rise.”
Cycling Scotland Director Brian Curtis commented, “Cycling Scotland is delighted to present SPT with not one, but three, Cycle-Friendly Employer awards. Giving staff good facilities to make cycling to work an easy and practical option is essential to achieving a shift towards more environmentally friendly modes of transport. The fact that SPT has provided these facilities across their three largest office spaces shows real commitment to sustainable transport, and I hope it will encourage other organisations to follow in their footsteps.”
As well as promoting cycling to staff, SPT has also taken part in a number of activities designed to encourage members of the public to leave their cars at home and get on their bikes or try out public transport.
These included various events during Bike Week (16-24 June) and European Mobility Week (16-22 September) such as bike clinics and ‘Try out Cycling’ events which were all very popular.
In attendance at the presentation were bus station supervisor Eleanor McTaggart, bus station superintendent Debbie Maley, SPT Chair Councillor Alistair Watson, Travel Plan officer Philip Glennie, Director of Subway operations David Wallace and Cycling Scotland director Brian Curtis MBE.
End of story.
End of Issue 16.
Note: you can send feedback to Interchange, Communications Team, SPT, Consort House, 12 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 1HN.
email: interchange@spt.co.uk