End of the road for service
Politicians unite against decision
First Glasgow have made a dramatic U-turn and cancelled the X1 bus service.
People power played a part in saving the Hamilton to Glasgow express route earlier this year.
But now the largest bus operator in Lanarkshire say it is no longer viable following the pandemic.
It was only in February, after a hard-fought campaign by bus users and politicians, that bosses agreed to continue the service.
They gave an assurance that they would retain the service following an extensive stakeholder engagement and review period.
The X1 had been suspended during the pandemic but First Glasgow announced it would not be returning last Friday.
Graeme Macfarlan, commercial director for First Glasgow, said: “Like many other companies throughout the world, First Bus have been impacted by the pandemic and are facing one of the most challenging and unprecedented periods. We have tried to react quickly to the challenges presented throughout the pandemic with innovation as well as the safety of our staff and customers at the forefront.
“Prior to the global pandemic, extensive efforts were made to make service X1 a viable operation, and we were grateful for the support that was shown to the service during that time.
“We applied various methods of support in an attempt to boost the service, including a revamp look for the service and a massive online and on-street promotion. We also offered an off-peak discount in an attempt to boost dwindling numbers as well as local politicians committing to promotion of the service within their constituencies.
“Unfortunately, all of this support did not translate into passengers using the service and even prior to the pandemic, simply was not carrying enough passengers despite the renewed efforts to even cover its costs of operation.
“The X1 service has been suspended for over three months now and throughout the lockdown period as part of our reduced network COVID-19 contingencies.
“Now, given the catastrophic effects of the coronavirus pandemic on passenger volumes and the requirement for social distancing reducing the ability to carry the passenger volumes needed, it’s simply no longer viable for the service to run, and it’s with regret that we have to make the difficult decision to permanently withdraw the service.
“It’s crucial that we prioritise all resources to where it is most needed and alleviate the challenges caused by social distancing restrictions, also ensuring services have sufficient capacity where passenger volumes are increasing.”
Those who used the service have branded the decision as “outrageous” and “ridiculous”.
One user on social media said: “Absolutely ridiculous it has been taken off.”
Another said: “That was one of the best routes. Don’t know what I would’ve done without it when I was at university.”
One user added: “Come on, there must be some small bus companies that could do this service? Plus, the bus was busy all the time when it came down from Eddlewood Toll straight down the main road.”