530 staff... just 4 at their desks full-time in swish HQ
THE agency responsible for Scotland’s roads and railways has come under fire for wasting taxpayers’ cash on swanky office space that is being left unused.
Although Transport Scotland employs 530 staff, only four are currently working full-time in their Glasgow office.
The quango occupies six storeys of Buchanan House, an office block in Port Dundas. But when The Scottish Mail on Sunday visited the site last week, one employee revealed as few as ten workers might come in on any given day.
The agency confirmed even interim chief executive Hugh Gillies, who earned a pay package worth £145,000 last year, is not working in the office full-time.
Critics of working from home have warned that phone waiting times have increased with the public continually being put on hold as calls are diverted.
Graham Simpson, the Scottish Tories’ transport spokesman, said last night: ‘Transport Scotland bosses should be doing far more to encourage staff back into the office.
‘With Covid restrictions having now ended, there is no need for this office space to continually be unoccupied.
‘There are major challenges facing Scotland’s transport network and these could be dealt with more effectively with a greater number of staff meeting faceto-face. Getting more staff back into the office could also be a shot in the arm for our rail and bus networks.’
Transport Scotland said it plans to leave Buchanan House. A spokesman said: ‘Last year we announced plans to downsize office space in Glasgow from 2023.
‘We considered value for money and changing workstyles. Transport Scotland will share new office space in Bothwell Street with other public sector bodies.’