First Bus has announced the formation of a new night bus network in collaboration with McGill’s Group to ensure the continuation of Glasgow’s nighttime services moving forward.
The city’s largest bus operator will operate four night bus routes between 12:45am and 3am on Friday and Saturday nights while McGill’s Group will take on a further five routes.
They say this collaborative solution preserves the majority of night bus journeys and “highlights the commitment of the wider bus industry to meet the needs of the people of Glasgow”.
They add this new approach stretches First Glasgow’s driver resource as far as it possibly can to provide services into the early hours of Saturday and Sunday morning, “reiterating First Bus’ commitment to delivering for its customers and the communities it serves”.
The new-look late-night service is on top of the existing network of First Bus services, which continue to provide links up to and beyond midnight across Greater Glasgow.
First Bus’ data shows a post-pandemic shift in behaviour in Glasgow, with over 2,500 more people catching the bus between 10:30pm and midnight on Friday and Saturday nights than before.
Duncan Cameron, Managing Director for First Bus Scotland, said: “Following discussions with business owners and key stakeholders in the city, we are pleased to announce a new collaborative solution alongside McGill’s Group to continue offering a comprehensive night bus network in Glasgow.
“When we first announced the withdrawal of our night bus services, we highlighted the challenges we faced as a business. This solution allows us to continue to operate a night bus service in the face of the current driver shortage.
“It also highlights the importance of the Glasgow Bus Partnership in being agile and the benefits of operators working together to overcome challenges, providing the services needed by the people of Glasgow.
“We understand the need for a wider late-night public transport strategy in Glasgow. Our hope is we will now see action from stakeholders, politicians and other transport modes to support local businesses and provide a way forward for the city’s night-time economy.”
The announcement also follows the recent announcement of enhancements on services 2 and 3 from 20th August which will improve services for over 600,000 people per month in the city, with First Glasgow saying it “continues to utilise data to allocate resource to meet demand”.
(Picture – First Bus)
