Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
MSP on board with fight to get bus route running again
Bus passengers in Coatbridge are calling for the restoration of a service to Glasgow after the withdrawal of the previous route left them “feeling isolated and disconnected”.
The town has been without a direct bus link to the city for nearly three years since a previous route was withdrawn, with its operators citing declining demand.
Now MSP Fulton Macgregor has taken up the campaign by writing to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) to ask that the area’s provision is reviewed, saying: “The reintroduction of a bus service would be richly valued by the community.”
He has contacted the public transport body’s chief executive to highlight the issue of “bus connectivity between Glasgow and my constituency”, asking that new funding is explored to support local improvements.
Mr Macgregor wrote that the 2019 withdrawal of the previous Number 2 route “left many across the area feeling isolated and disconnected; the lack of bus connections to Glasgow have caused understandable stress.
“Rail is the only option for those seeking to use public transport to travel between the two urban centres [and] my office is often contacted by constituents who advise that rail travel is not viable for them.”
He continued: “With recent issues across the UK regarding rail travel, as well as Scotrail timetables being reduced, I am requesting that the decision to cut bus services from Glasgow to Coatbridge and Chryston be re-examined.
“With the recent support that the Scottish Government has pledged [for] development of the community bus fund, there is now further support [for] transport authorities to improve local bus services.”
Mr Macgregor told the Advertiser how he was prompted to write to SPT following increasing contact from residents about the issue.
He explained: “When the direct bus route from Coatbridge and
Airdrie to Glasgow first stopped that caused disruption and we were fighting the case but hadn’t got anywhere before the pandemic.
“Since coming out of lockdown and then the recent issues with the trains, there’s been quite a surge in enquiries about this again and we really should have a bus link to the city.
“We have really good train links but that’s dearer and doesn’t suit everybody. And recent issues, such as the temporary timetable, show that when there’s a problem, there isn’t really a public transport alternative.”
Mr Macgregor also noted that holders of national entitlement cards allowing free bus travel are keen to be able to use these for extended travel beyond local journeys, such as trips to Glasgow.
A spokesperson for SPT said: “Chief executive Valerie Davidson has just received the letter and we will respond to all of the issues raised as soon as possible.”
Back in 2019, a public meeting on the topic was attended by more than 150 people and saw twice that number sign a petition calling for a review of local public transport services.
Previous service operator First Bus had said of their decision to withdraw the previous bus connection: “Passenger demand has, unfortunately, been declining for many years.
“Sadly, we got to a point where we could no longer continue to provide this link.”