Bus boss disputes transport authority’s figures for franchise bid
dailyrecord.co.ukBus giant McGill’s has sought to discredit claims about the cost of bus franchising in Renfrewshire and the Strathclyde region.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) last month revealed plans to proceed with a bus franchising model across the Greater Glasgow region in a bid to bolster a declining bus market.The franchise approach would see SPT or an identified body set bus routes, fares and frequencies, with performance targets and customer feedback used to inform what operators are paid to run services.SPT says it would take around £15 million and between five and seven years to implement and around £45m to £85m per year thereafter.
The transport authority is currently consulting on the proposals, revealed as part of the Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy (SRBS) Case for Change.But McGill’s, owned by the billionaire Inverclyde businessmen Sandy and James Easdale, says the cost is being vastly underestimated as they seek to prevent the bus network being brought back under public control.Last year, the firm cut bus services in Renfrewshire by 13 per cent.
CEO Ralph Roberts said the figure could be close to £400m if factors such as infrastructure upgrades and efficiencies were taken into account.Renfrewshire Live, the new free app dedicated to bringing you around the clock breaking news, is now available to download.Powered by the Paisley Daily Express, Renfrewshire Live is your go-to source for news, features and sport with live coverage provided direct to the app, seven days a week.The dedicated team of experienced journalists, responsible for the publication of the award-winning Express, will focus on breaking news, day and night, across Renfrewshire’s towns and villages.There is also a dedicated St Mirren section
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