McGill’s Buses marked 20 years of serving the people of Inverclyde with an open day at its Greenock depot on Saturday 3 July. The event included behind-the-scenes tours, heritage and open-top bus trips and a look at one of the operator’s battery-electric Yutong E12s.
McGill’s operation in Inverclyde started at the beginning of the Greenock Fair in 2001. Since then, the business has grown to become the UK’s largest independent bus operator, a position cemented in 2020 when it purchased Xplore Dundee from National Express.
Says Chairman and joint owner of McGill’s James Easdale: “McGill’s has expanded rapidly over the past 20 years, and we are excited about the future of the business. A key foundation of our success has been to continually invest in new buses, infrastructure and our people.
“This has led to Inverclyde being home to the UK’s largest independent bus operator, and as seen with our recent purchase of Xplore Dundee, we see no reason why McGill’s Buses cannot keep growing for decades to come.”
Adds his brother and co-owner of the business Sandy Easdale (pictured): “The recent investment of £32.5m in 68 battery-electric vehicles, all of which are due to arrive before COP26 in Glasgow in November, is testament to the bright future that we see for McGill’s. We think electric vehicles, which deliver a smooth and whisper-quiet journey, will convince more people to leave their cars at home.
“Together, McGill’s leadership and staff have helped James and I to build a company over the past two decades that we are very proud of.”