Glasgow bus troubles set to continue
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• Glasgow's deregulation bus troubles seem set to continue — at least in the short term — following the decision last week by Scottish traffic commissioner Hugh McNamara not to impose conditions on bus operations in the city centre.
During the run up to deregulation, and in its aftermath, Glasgow's city streets have been suffering severe congestion (CM October 25) with bus operators — in particular Strathclyde Buses and Scottish Bus Group — fighting for supremacy.
In refusing the request from Strathclyde Regional Council, McNamara said it would require a very strong case, per haps amounting to imminent danger, before he took the exceptional step of imposing far-reaching conditions without hearing the views of the operators concerned, the users of the services and the elderly and disabled at a public inquiry.
Strathclyde councillors have called for cutbacks after a plea for voluntary agreement between Strathclyde and SBG collapsed. The Scottish Bus Group offered to shift 27 services out of the city centre if Strathclyde gave a similar response, but it refused.