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Sunday, 21 May 2006 |
 First Bus, which has a virtual stranglehold on the City's bus network, is to cancel all night buses from Sunday/Monday to Wednesday/Thursday nights. Only on Thursday/Friday to Saturday/Sunday nights will there still be a service from July.
When this was confirmed at the SPT (Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) meeting on Friday 19th, the SNP called for a full report on the impacts and deplored the "savage cuts".
Cllr John Mason, the SNP's only rep on SPT, said, "Not only does this affect those out enjoying themselves late at night, but also those who have to work in the city centre and travel home to the edge of Glasgow. How are folk from Easterhouse, Drumchapel, and Castlemilk who are working on a low wage in the city centre expected to afford a taxi home 4 nights a week? This could well boost unemployment in certain areas.
Glasgow is meant to be a "24 hour city" so this announcement is a huge backward step and embarrassment for the Labour administration. It re-emphasises the need to regulate the bus industry. The regulated rail industry has recently introduced later services at night. But the unregulated bus industry is cutting services. Surely that contrast says it all… especially as both trains and buses are operated by First. Labour and the LibDems in the Scottish Executive must act on the bus industry. They have sat on their hands for too long."
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