As part of his ongoing engagement with the bus industry, the Scottish Road Works Commissioner, Kevin Hamilton, visited McGill’s Buses at their depot in Larbert to discuss challenges experienced by the bus industry as a result of road works. McGill’s staff also demonstrated their control centre where they mitigate the effects of road works, events and other incidents.
A wide range of topics were discussed, including the effects road works can have on bus punctuality. This revealed this can make bus usage less attractive, resulting in lower numbers of bus users. Ultimately, this affects the financial viability of the bus sector and reduces opportunities for further investment.
Some shortcomings in how road works are planned were acknowledged by both sides, however the Commissioner was pleased to advise the meeting of progress with a number of measures to improve how bus services are considered during the planning and execution of road works.
This was the latest in a series of visits to bus operators including Lothian Buses in Edinburgh and First Bus in Glasgow.
The Commissioner, Kevin Hamilton, said:
“I’d like to thank the bus industry for opportunities to hear their concerns first hand and look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with them to minimise problems caused by road works.
Whilst we all recognise the importance of road works in providing the services that we rely upon, it is clear that some works can significantly impact bus services.
I am pleased to report good progress with changes to how bus services are considered during the planning and execution of road works and hope this will deliver improvements for both passengers and operators.
The bus sector will be a key part of achieving a low carbon economy and it is important that we continue to work together to make it an attractive option to the public.”