McGill’s Group CEO Ralph Roberts has voiced strong opposition to a call for central government to bear the cost of bus franchising in Scotland.
This response comes after SNP councillor Malcolm Mitchell suggested that the Scottish and UK governments should finance the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s (SPT) bus franchising initiatives.
Mr Roberts’ critique draws upon previous discussions with then Transport Minister Humza Yousaf, who purportedly made it “very clear” during the formation of the Transport Act, which allows for franchising, that local authorities would need to finance these initiatives from their own budgets.
The McGill’s CEO criticises the call for central funding as a way for councillors to avoid making unpopular decisions among motorists, implying that Glasgow’s car users would ultimately bear the costs through other charges.
Mr Roberts also insists that any franchising must lead to substantial service improvements. He argues that the first step towards better bus services is to enhance road infrastructure and allocate more space to buses. Clearing parking from main roads would be a simple and cost-effective measure, yet faces resistance due to potential backlash from car owners.
He warms that without foundational improvements to roads and public transport infrastructure, attempts to overhaul the bus system could lead to increased costs for taxpayers and potentially harm local businesses.
“Fixing congestion works. Cities which are actually run as ‘world-class’ destinations have proved this,” he adds. “It reduces bus operating costs and those savings can be ploughed into more services and lower fares. Bus companies are even willing to allow councils to be part of the process of bus network design and setting fares. The caveat here is that they would need to do their job and couldn’t spend any more than is available – something which clearly isn’t attractive enough for politicians.
“When McGill’s Group fight these plans, we are not only preventing the business that we have built, at great cost, being handed to a foreign multi-national for free, we are also trying to save the taxpayer from unnecessary expense. To other business owners in Glasgow; today they are coming for us, tomorrow it may be your business that is taken away.”
