Politicians meet wth bus bosses over X1 decision
Hamilton politicians met with First Bus last week to express their dismay at the decision to scrap the X1 express route from Hillhouse to Glasgow.
Christina Mckelvie MSP, along with MPS Angela Crawley and Margaret Ferrier, highlighted residents’ continuing support for the service.
The X1 was temporarily suspended at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but on Friday, July 3, First announced they would be withdrawing a number of marginal routes across Glasgow and the surrounding areas – including the X1.
Ms Mckelvie – the MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse – said: “The X1 service is an absolutely vital lifeline to so many communities across Hamilton, with students and workers using the route to commute into Glasgow.
“In addition to this, the X1 provides a key social link for many of my constituents. In particular, it provides coverage to residents living in the High Earnock area who would otherwise struggle to travel to Hamilton or Glasgow by public transport.
“We made it clear to First that we find it absolutely unacceptable for the X1 to be cancelled without any real consultation with the local community. While the service has been suspended it is impossible for First Bus to know what the demand is like in the area. With many more people returning to work as we ease our way out of lockdown, countless more people will be relying on the X1 to get them where they need to go.
“We will be meeting again with First in the near future to explore what options are available to secure the continued running of the X1.”
This is not the first time the X1 service has been under threat. The route was placed under a review period which took place from October 2019 until February 2020. It was saved following a campaign and extra promotion, including increased marketing and off-peak fare incentives, led to an uplift in passenger numbers.
Ms Crawley – the MP for Lanark and Hamilton East – said: “I welcome the progress made at the meeting with First, however it is unacceptable that they proposed cutting the service without testing the post-lockdown demand.
“The X1 is a lifeline to many of my constituents and without it, many of passengers will struggle with their daily commute to and from Glasgow.
“I look forward to meeting again with representatives from First Glasgow and we will continue to press them to reinstate the service.”
Mrs Ferrier – Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP – said: “The X1 service is a lifeline for my constituents and they want reassurance that they will have accessible public transport options, as we start to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
“Dropping the X1 will do nothing to help my constituents get to where they need to be, especially as we start to travel more as lockdown eases. Their quality of life is at stake here and First Bus must not abandon this vital link for residents in Hillhouse, Fairhill and High Earnock.
“The uplift in passenger numbers prior to the pandemic demonstrates that demand can be restored for the X1 when restrictions fully lift. We will need clean, green buses in the future to help fight climate change and some more ambition from First Bus can help build that sustainable future for public transport after coronavirus.”
Graeme Macfarlan, commercial director for First Glasgow said: “Like many other companies throughout the world,
First Glasgow has been impacted by the pandemic and are facing one of the most challenging and unprecedented periods ever. 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 being 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 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. We met with local elected representatives last Friday to outline our position on the status of the service.
“I would reiterate that it’s crucial we prioritise all resources to where they are most needed and alleviate the challenges caused by social distancing restrictions, while making sure that services have sufficient capacity on routes where passenger volumes are increasing.”