The GlasGo Bus Alliance* – a first of its kind collaboration of the leading bus operators in Glasgow – launches a major travel survey today [25 October 2021] to hear from the people of Glasgow and the surrounding areas about the future of bus in their City.
- Major travel survey launched today by GlasGo Bus Alliance
- GlasGo seeks to realise bold vision for bus and joins up with the #lovemybus campaign
- Shared vision and plan to make Glasgow’s bus experience greener, faster and well connected over the next five years
GlasGo is a collective effort to deliver a bold vision for bus in Glasgow. Bus leaders are working together to navigate the challenges ahead to create a fast, smart, accessible and affordable system for all our future. This collaboration of 10 bus operators, including First Bus, Stagecoach and McGills, would like to shape and deliver a shared vision with the people of Glasgow through this survey.
The aspiration is to deliver a bus service that offers seamless connections for everyone travelling across the City; where journeys are eased from congestion; with timetable information that is easily accessible and accurate.
GlasGo will work in partnership with the #lovemybus project from sustainable transport charity, Transform Scotland, across all Greater Glasgow to realise and promote all the future benefits of choosing bus as an affordable and greener travel solution.
Fiona Doherty, Chair of GlasGo Bus Alliance said: “The GlasGo Bus Alliance has outlined where we want bus to go in the future and we are keen to hear from the people of Glasgow about their vision for bus and I’d encourage everyone to take this opportunity to have their say. We all want an excellent bus network that delivers for the people of Glasgow.
As operators there are some big challenges facing bus today, but we need to keep moving forward and work at pace towards delivering a simple to use, fast, smart, integrated bus network which encourages more people to use the bus within and from the City of Glasgow. Our partnership with #lovemybus will showcase the benefits of using bus for people across the region.”
Joan Aitken, Chair of the Glasgow Bus Partnership added: “Despite these challenging times for the bus industry, working round the clock to deliver vital bus services whilst we experience a national driver shortage, it’s great to see the alliance is pressing ahead in its efforts to transform the face of bus in the Glasgow region and seeking to hear the voice of the customer. Engaging with existing and potential customers is critical in ensuring real change is made to not only encourage more people out of cars and onto bus but to reduce the level of congestion in the city and surrounding areas.”
Jess Pepper, External Affairs Manager, Transform Scotland said: “As it hosts COP26, Glasgow is profiling the best of bus through an iconic fleet of zero emission buses manufactured in Scotland which run on clean green electricity – providing solutions to reduce transport pollution and tackle the climate emergency now.
This is a taste of the vision ahead – a cleaner, safer, healthier, and fairer future that everyone can benefit from. This commitment from Glasgow’s bus operators to work together to deliver on this vision with the people and key partners across the city and surrounding area is exciting, there are many challenges ahead – working together the ambition can be achieved.
#lovemybus is delighted to work with the GlasGo alliance to support and promote the role of buses in achieving a just, green recovery.”
*Glasgow’s leading bus operators are working together in a unique collaboration – the GlasGo Bus Alliance – with a shared vision and plan to make Glasgow’s bus experience greener, faster and better connected over the next five years. Buses only contribute to 4% of transport related emissions and this is rapidly reducing. Buses are enablers for green and active travel and can play a huge role in the economic and environmental wellbeing of the Glasgow city region. The Scottish Government has pledged Scotland shall become net zero of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and GlasGo will play its part in this.
GlasGo are encouraging everyone to get involved with the survey which runs until the 12th of November.
Click here to read the GlasGo pledge and download the full manifesto: https://glasgowbusalliance.com/our-pledge/
25 October 2021 – ends –
For media queries only please contact:
Debbie Johnston, Spreng Thomson – debbie@sprengthomson.com / 07532 183811
Notes to editors:
About GlasGo Bus Alliance – GlasGo Bus Alliance is a partnership formed of the leading bus operators in Glasgow and the surrounding area who are working collaboratively, in a new way, to transform the bus travel experience for current and future bus customers in the city. The shared vision is to focus on creating seamless bus travel across the city region by delivering a simple to use, fast, smart and integrated bus network. All operators are welcome.
*The alliance currently includes: City Sightseeing Glasgow; First Glasgow; First Midland; Glasgow Citybus; JMB Travel; McGill’s; Stagecoach East Scotland; Stagecoach West Scotland; Whitelaw’s; Glasgow Community Transport
Bus has kept communities connected throughout through the pandemic and can help ensure the city does not become more congested through recovery. New low and zero emission buses are cutting air pollution, improving health, creating jobs, contributing to a fairer city for everyone and critically, reducing emissions. Although these are tough times, buses can also help tackle some of the biggest challenges we face for our future.
Website: www.glasgowbusalliance.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/glasgo-bus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlasGoBus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlasGoBusAlliance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasgobus/
About #lovemybus – #lovemybus was launched in 2019 as a campaign from Transform Scotland, and was designed to increase awareness, facilitate understanding, and celebrate the benefits of bus. Transform Scotland is an alliance for sustainable transport that supports campaigns for walking, cycling, and public transport in an effort to make these modes of transit affordable options for everyone in Scotland. As part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring a green and just recovery from the pandemic, Love My Bus routinely hosts open virtual presentations to offer information about the campaign and benefits of bus, and encourages anyone to sign up and participate. For more information about the Love My Bus campaign, or to get involved, visit: https://lovemybus.scot
