The big plan for better buses
(22 votes, 4.45 out of 5)
Loading ...Quality Buses
Buses that are nice to ride in; that are clean, in good condition, and that aren’t belching out thick diesel fumes into my neighbourhood.
One of the issues that crops up time and again in my conversations with bus users is that buses can be a bit manky. It puts some people off using them. There can be litter, grime and torn seats. There may be some shiny new buses on one or two routes, but the unfortunate truth is that many buses have seen better days. This is unpleasant for the passengers but also for people around Glasgow who are breathing in the diesel fumes.
Bus travel is already a much greener way of travelling than in the car, but we know there are solutions for making it even greener: there are hybrid buses and electric buses for starters. The Scottish Government has a green buses fund and First received 10 new buses paid for by this fund. This is good news but it is a drop in the ocean which needs to be filled with investment from the bus companies themselves. Manky buses are not an option, the buses need to up their game.
What do you think about the state of the buses? Have you travelled on a particularly manky bus? Or a particularly wonderful one?
I would make a more modest request – buses that are sufficiently well-maintained that they’re not breaking down in service all the time. I find it shocking the number of times I’ve been on a First bus that’s been stopped and had everyone moved onto another bus. I’ve gotten the impression from bus drivers that First try to coerce them into drive buses that aren’t even in roadworthy condition.
The best bus service which runs in the East End (in my humble opinion) is the Henderson Bus. I use it on a regular basis taking my son from Baillieston to Easterhouse to access guitar lessons. The drivers are always helpful, they make sure everyone is seated before they move off and someimes you are lucky enough to get on when Classic FM is playing. Brilliant journey through Easterhouse that day I wish I had filmed it. It is wxpensive that is the only drawback but a far superior service than any other bus company (apart from Arran!)
I think that bus passengers also have a responsibility not to drop litter, smoke or annoy other passengers. But anti-social behaviour on the buses is simply not being addressed by the bus company or by the police. Almost everyday there’s someone at the back of the bus smoking.
Most of First’s buses are actually in pretty good condition when they’re clean and there’s no-one smoking on them. In summer when it’s hot the air conditioning makes the journeys more pleasant, however, I’ve been on plenty of buses when the air conditioning wasn’t switched on or wasn’t working, and the buses become unbearably hot.