JMB Travel has accused First Bus of service changes which it says present “unnecessary and damaging competition” to the SME’s operations in Lanarkshire.
The Newmains-based operator has complained of “predatory behaviour” by the larger business in introducing new services which it says closely mirror its own.
First Bus introduced new services and timetables across the area on 29 March.
However, JMB Travel questions whether these changes will deliver benefits to the community, given the similarity to existing routes.
It also says that First Bus is simultaneously reducing frequencies on other parts of its network, thus leaving residents without a service.
JMB Travel accuses First Bus of targeting 80% of its commercial routes. As an example, it cites First Bus’s new 243 Lanark-Motherwell service, which JMB Travel says leaves the corridor between those two towns overserviced.
Its most significantly affected commercial services are routes 5 and 41, the operator says.
It also points out that the 230 service from Eddlewood-Hamilton, which it operated on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), has been withdrawn.
On 20 April, First Bus will also introduce an X44 service from Newarthill-Glasgow, which JMB Travel says will compete against its X5 launched in January. It adds that the X44 is timed to depart Newarthill just a few minutes in front of the X5 every hour of the day.
JMB Travel Managing Director Martin Bell, who co-owns the business with his wife, Jennifer, says: “We have worked hard to build a reputation for delivering high-quality bus services across Lanarkshire and are proud of everything we have achieved so far.
“These predatory and anti-competitive changes by First Bus appear to be designed to run JMB Travel off the road on our long-standing routes, which we have spent many years investing in, to make them successful.
“We now face a ‘David-and-Goliath’ situation – a small independent family-run business, up against a large multinational conglomerate.
“We cannot understand why First Bus has decided to take this unnecessary action when there are other communities across Glasgow and Lanarkshire which could have benefitted from this investment.”
The independent operator says it has invested strongly in new vehicles and heavily supports the local labour market and economy.
A spokesperson for First Bus responds: “We do not accept the allegation that the introduction of our new services is anti-competitive or of a predatory nature.
“All our decisions are taken in line with our own established commercial strategy and growth plans. This includes the introduction of new services, which we consider represents fair competition, and which are part of our latest review of the network to provide better connectivity, greater convenience and more options for customers travelling around Lanarkshire.”
SPT says in a statement: “In the current deregulated market, changes to bus services and competition are for commercial operators to decide.
“When such commercial changes are implemented, SPT routinely reviews the remaining supported bus provision and must make adjustments where necessary in line with our frameworks and available budget.
“While we note that the revised bus provision may not be as convenient for some communities, both Silvertonhill and Coatshill continue to have access to bus provision within a reasonable walking distance.
“SPT views on the current market and the future are clearly set out in the Strathclyde Regional Bus Strategy. SPT is currently taking forward a Franchising Assessment under the 2019 Transport (Scotland) Act.”
