Buses Today

[banjo]

when i was in edinburgh in june the lothian buses were spotless and always seemed to run to time.i never used firstbus the whole time i was there.much cheaper fares through there as well.

[tombro]

By the sounds of it YB,

Hear Hear !

Tombro

[The Egg Man]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, bus companies are run for profit and companies such as First Group exist only so long as they continue to make a profit for their shareholders, public service doesn’t come into it.

.......................

I don't have a problem with bus companies making profit. They need it to reinvest in new buses and pay decent salaries to their often hard-pressed drivers + distribute something to shareholders.

It gets a bit silly when it looks as if they're deliberately messing around with services, destinations and routes just try try to squeeze a few extra bob out of passengers, many of whom have no alternative to the bus for travelling to and form work.

On a lighter note. I took a 9 back to town from Braehead last night and, although the driver denied it, I'm sure we got lost somewhere in Hillington Industrial Estate. We ended up making a three point turn in a space which was never designed for it.

[busdriver]

Bring back the corpy & clippies

Ah yes 1975 was a bad year in many ways, also by co-incidence when I left school.

[Dexter St. Clair]

when i was in edinburgh in june the lothian buses were spotless and always seemed to run to time.i never used firstbus the whole time i was there.much cheaper fares through there as well.

Competition provides the cheap fares. Glasgow subsidises that war.

[applemaca]

when i was in edinburgh in june the lothian buses were spotless and always seemed to run to time.i never used firstbus the whole time i was there.much cheaper fares through there as well.

Competition provides the cheap fares. Glasgow subsidises that war.

Call me Mr Thick, but................In what way does Glasgow subsidise Lothian Buses?

[The Egg Man]

when i was in edinburgh in june the lothian buses were spotless and always seemed to run to time.i never used firstbus the whole time i was there.much cheaper fares through there as well.

Competition provides the cheap fares. Glasgow subsidises that war.

Call me Mr Thick, but................In what way does Glasgow subsidise Lothian Buses?

I believe the argument runs - high bus fares in Glasgow allow First to have lower bus fares in Edinburgh forcing Lothian Buses to have low (lower?) fares in order to compete.

[Lucky Poet]

Lothian Buses has consistently made a modest profit most years, and has no reason to try to maximise profits - its majority shareholder (the council) doesn't actually want it to. It can't be emphasised enough that First are a bit player in the city, with only a real presence on certain main routes, generally the ones that carry on some way into the country. Some of these out of town routes have First running a virtual monopoly, and in these places their fares are noticeably higher. Inside the city? A Lothian monopoly (effectively), and low fares, and good buses, and First isn't forcing them to do anything - because it's not in a position to even try. If Glasgow's city father's hadn't flogged off the municipal bus company it might be similar.

[applemaca]

Lothian Buses has consistently made a modest profit most years, and has no reason to try to maximise profits - its majority shareholder (the council) doesn't actually want it to. It can't be emphasised enough that First are a bit player in the city, with only a real presence on certain main routes, generally the ones that carry on some way into the country. Some of these out of town routes have First running a virtual monopoly, and in these places their fares are noticeably higher. Inside the city? A Lothian monopoly (effectively), and low fares, and good buses, and First isn't forcing them to do anything - because it's not in a position to even try. If Glasgow's city father's hadn't flogged off the municipal bus company it might be similar.

I was also puzzled as to how First Glasgow were forcing Lothian Buses to clean thier vehicles too......answers on a post card.

[Fat Cat]

First Bus Glasgow run a pretty appalling serivce. Why does it now take half an hour for a journey that previously took 15 minutes. Oh, that's right, drivers sit at empty bus stops for minutes on end to run to a timetable save they get fined for running early.

The buses are filthy, the seats are a fear and the drivers are less than impressive. I'm sure some of them do not have a license.

BTW, to the cheeky bint driving the 38 on Saturday through the town. Just because you were running late does not excuse your rudeness to my 79 year old mother, you're lucky you didn't come away with a sore face and it doesn't excuse the fact you emptied a full bus at the College of Commerce and put up the "Not in service" sign. You need to find another line of work.

[busdriver]

First Bus Glasgow run a pretty appalling serivce. Why does it now take half an hour for a journey that previously took 15 minutes. Oh, that's right, drivers sit at empty bus stops for minutes on end to run to a timetable save they get fined for running early.

The buses are filthy, the seats are a fear and the drivers are less than impressive. I'm sure some of them do not have a license.

BTW, to the cheeky bint driving the 38 on Saturday through the town. Just because you were running late does not excuse your rudeness to my 79 year old mother, you're lucky you didn't come away with a sore face and it doesn't excuse the fact you emptied a full bus at the College of Commerce and put up the "Not in service" sign. You need to find another line of work.

“First Bus Glasgow run a pretty appalling serivce.”

Couldn’t agree more, as service providers go they have a lot to aspire to.

“Why does it now take half an hour for a journey that previously took 15 minutes. Oh, that's right, drivers sit at empty bus stops for minutes on end to run to a timetable save they get fined for running early.”

Not wishing to sound like an apologist especially for a company I no longer work for, but, there is only one way to answer that and that is Yes. Buses must under the terms of their operating licence run to schedule, the traffic commissioner will accept no excuse for services running more than one minute early or five minutes later than published schedules. Hence the reason drivers in danger of running early do and must take up the excess running time. Circumstances beyond the drivers control might explain running late, but there are none for running early.

“The buses are filthy, the seats are a fear and the drivers are less than impressive.”

Yes the passengers do tend to leave the buses in a frightful state, short of forcing them to clean up there own mess instead of complaining about it there’s not a great deal companies can do other than what they do already which is to clean them before going into service and at the end of shift back at the depot. If you had to put up with being verbally and physically abused, threatened and subject to attacks you would feel less impressive too.

“I'm sure some of them do not have a license.”

Now that’s just being silly, pre employment checks include ensuring drivers have a valid licence. There are serious consequences for both driver and employers if it is found that drivers are employed who don’t have a licence.

“BTW, to the cheeky bint driving the 38 on Saturday through the town. Just because you were running late does not excuse your rudeness to my 79 year old mother, you're lucky you didn't come away with a sore face and it doesn't excuse the fact you emptied a full bus at the College of Commerce and put up the "Not in service" sign. You need to find another line of work.”

If you have a valid complaint or reasonable concern regarding a drivers conduct, the way to deal with it is to put a complaint in writing to there employer. Threats of violence or worse will only land you before the courts. Drivers will not empty a “full” bus without good cause, there could be any number of reasons why this happened not least of which is being threatened with a “sore face” if you really feel the need to know why these passengers were put off the bus the number to call is: 0141 423 6600.

Or write to:
Customer Services Manager
First Glasgow
197 Victoria Rd
Glasgow G42 7AD

[The Egg Man]

I'd hoped the Glaswegian view that giving someone a 'sore face' was the solution to anything had gone the way of all folly.

Apparently not

[Fat Cat]

I'd hoped the Glaswegian view that giving someone a 'sore face' was the solution to anything had gone the way of all folly.

Apparently not

Seriously, get over yourself.

You actually think I would slap someone doing their job (albeit badly). Woosh!

[The Egg Man]

I'd hoped the Glaswegian view that giving someone a 'sore face' was the solution to anything had gone the way of all folly.

Apparently not

Seriously, get over yourself.

You actually think I would slap someone doing their job (albeit badly). Woosh!

So why say it? To impress the rest of us?

[aye69]

This is BBC News 24 Live TV on bus

From No 38 Mcgill's bus