Fury as villages’ bus links are axed OAPs will suffer, says councillor
A bus firm’s decision to scrap two key ro u t e s linking rural Renfrewshire villages has been blasted by a councillor.
Mc G i l l ’ s Bu s e s announced its number eight and 19 services will stop running at the end of March.
Councillor Natalie Don argues the move will leave passengers facing longer and less frequent journeys.
She said: “This is terrible news for Bridge of Weir and Houston and I am extremely angry that McGill’s has taken this decision.
“The number 19 bus has been a staple in our villages for as long as I can remember and is used regularly by the local community. This decision will hit the elderly hard, and others who use this service regularly to get to work in Inchinnan or Paisley.”
The number 19 bus links Paisley with Bridge of Weir, Houston and Johnstone, while the number eight runs between Linwood and Johnstone.
The SNP councillor for Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank said: “The fact that McGill’s would make this decision without any consultation and then announce it giving people just over a month to prepare for the changes, is shocking.
“I have requested a meeting with McGill’s to discuss this decision and can assure residents that I will do everything in my limited power to fight this decision.”
McGill’s managing director Ralph Roberts said: “McGill’s has been consulting with SPT on this for four weeks now and we will be issuing public notices on Monday.
“Unless we can find a way to avoid this, services eight and 19 will cease to operate from March 26. McGill’s rescued these routes in 2013 after Riverside Transport ceased trading
“In the four and a half years since, McGill’s has internally subsidised these two routes by just under half a million pounds.
“This is a mark of the commitment that we have to the people of Renfrewshire and far from the disrespect that Councillor Don suggests.
“Effectively, passengers from Spateston, Johnstone, the Castles, Kilbarchan and Foxbar have been subsidising bus trips for the people of Bridge of Weir and Houston – and the point has come where we cannot ask them to do this any longer.”