Technical Notes 2022, Issue 204 - Update on Glasgow Bus Partnership (GBP)
Report by:
Ann Davie, Depute Chief Executive
TN Number:
204-22
Subject:
Update on Glasgow Bus Partnership (GBP)
Responsible Officer:
Thomas McMenamin, Executive Officer, Roads & Environment
Publication:
This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council.
Section
The purpose of the Technical Note is to update Elected Members on the origins of and the work to date of the Glasgow Bus Partnership (GBP).
As a reminder, buses currently operate in a deregulated, commercial market in Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) area which East Dunbartonshire sits within. The responsibility for the provision of bus services therefore lies with the commercial bus market.
The GBP is a voluntary partnership that brings together the eight Glasgow City Region local authorities, SPT, bus operators (through the recently formed alliance, GlasGo - About Us | GlasGo Bus) and bus passenger representative groups. The purpose is to address current and ongoing challenges to bus travel and to improve the passenger experience for communities across the Region. The Partnership has been in existence since 2020. The GBP is currently administered by GCC.
The GBP meetings are held quarterly all relevant information is published to ensure transparency. Additional information can be found at
The Terms of Reference for the GBP are published on the website. They set out:
The vision and objectives of the GBP – these are far-ranging and include securing funding as well as securing quality public transport bus services for passengers including reviewing frequencies, fares and facilities
Membership of the GBP
Secretariat
Meetings and working groups
Expectations around Participation, which includes “Members of the Group will ensure that their participation is supported by their respective organisations (governance) and that they are committed to working to agree a “Bus Services Partnership Agreement”
Key deliverables and performance indicators
Sources of information
Timescales, which notes “The Group will identify a timescale for a formal Bus Partnership Agreement.”
The GBP successfully applied for initial £3.65m funding from Transport Scotlands Bus Partnership Fund and this money is being used to fund the work of the seven work streams working across the region.
The work streams have been working on the under noted topics;
Workstream A: Development of Business Cases for route enhancements and new schemes,
Workstream B: To oversee delivery of route enhancements,
Workstream C: Vehicle Standards and Network Development
Workstream D: Enforcement
Workstream E: Integrated Ticketing & Fare Capping.
Each work stream is chairs by a member of the main steering group. Joan Aitken OBE, the former Scottish Road Works Commissioner, independently chairs the street group.
Since 2020, the GBP have met regularly and the result is improved communication and an enhanced relationship across the various partners. The GBP provides a platform to discuss bus and transport related issues. Several areas/topics have advanced in since the inception of the GBP and these include;
Introduction of tap on tap off machines on some First Glasgow vehicles, with a commitment to introduce this across all operators to support the introduction of multi-operator fare capping by end 2023
The development of a GlasGo Bus app
Review of real time passenger information at bus stops across the region
Passenger survey undertaken by the GlasGo Bus Alliance
Productive discussions of parking enforcement and the role it plays in supporting bus journey time reliability
Raising issues with Transport Scotland including the role concessionary fare reimbursement levels have on fare structures
As a reminder, the Scottish Government announced £500m of funding in 2019 for bus infrastructure measures to tackle the impacts of congestion on bus services and raise bus usage.
The GBP worked collectively and with consultants to submit a substantial bid for funding from the associated Bus Partnership Fund. The initial overall bid was submitted for £256m-£289m funding to design and deliver interventions, of which £176m-£186m is for strategic corridors, £25m-£36m is for the city centre, £43m-£54m is for targeted improvements to enhance regional connectivity and £13m-£14m is for complementary measures
The GBP was allocated £3.655m in 2021 from the fund to cover a 5-year period. This included the development of a business case on the selected five corridors selected by Transport Scotland to identify bus priority interventions.
Please note that the GBP actions will be measured on increased passenger numbers and improvements in bus reliability (timetable).
External consultancies have been commissioned since early 2022 to undertake business case and option appraisal work on five corridors in Glasgow, as awarded under the Bus Partnership Fund:
Paisley Road West; (Central Station to Paisley Gilmour Street Station) – within Glasgow City Council and Renfrewshire Council
Dumbarton Road; (Clydebank Railway Station to High St Station) - within Glasgow City Council and West Dunbartonshire Council
Maryhill Road; (Bearsden Cross and From Boclair Rd via Canniesburn Toll to Glasgow Central Station) - within Glasgow City Council and East Dunbartonshire Council
Great Western Road; (Kilbowie Roundabout to High Street) - within Glasgow City Council and West Dunbartonshire Council
Pollokshaws Road (Central Station to Shawlands then Pollokshaws Rd to Thornliebank Railway Station and Kilmarnock Road to Eastwood Toll) - within Glasgow City Council and East Renfrewshire Council.
The Strategic Business Case for the five corridors was presented to Transport Scotland on 25th November 2022 and subject to approval will move through the remaining phases (outline Business Case and Corridor Concept Design).
The GBP is scheduled to meet again on the 23rd January 2023 at which point the outcome of the presentation to Transport Scotland will hopefully be available.
