Karen Gillon MSP

Campaign 3: Better Deal On Buses

Statistics relating to Scotland show that bus transport is the single most popular form of public transport with 482 million journeys made per year.

Unfortunately, the level of service that passengers can expect varies from location to location.  Here in Clydesdale, the local bus service is not as comprehensive as it could be and major bus links in the evenings and on Sundays are limited to say the least.

Even in Lanark, the constituency’s biggest town, services to big population centres like Hamilton only run every hour and a half beyond six o clock in the evening.

I want to work constructively with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, South Lanarkshire Council, Bus Operators and local communities to help improve the provision of bus services in Clydesdale.

My colleague Charlie Gordon is currently working on a Regulation of Buses Bill which aims, among other things, to improve provision of bus services across Scotland.

The Bill will make it easier for local transport authorities to set up quality partnerships with bus operators under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.  Under these partnerships, local transport authorities are able to provide a number of specified facilities (such as bus lanes or shelters) which may be used by those bus operators who sign up to the partnership. 

In order to benefit from these facilities, bus operators are required to meet minimum standards in a number of areas (such as service frequency, vehicle standards and technology implementation).

Through these partnerships, bus users will be provided with a better quality service in terms of frequency, reliability and comfort.