STEPHEN Flynn is showing concerns of Glasgow bus campaigners "are not as important as bus companies’ profits”, activists have said after staging a protest over his refusal to meet with them.
The National reported earlier this month how Flynn has turned down meetings with representatives from Living Rent and Get Glasgow Moving, both of which are pushing for Glasgow to have a publicly-owned bus company.
Activists want to see legislation on bus franchising simplified after a report showed nearly nine in 10 feel Glasgow buses aren't good enough.
Campaigners from Living Rent held a demonstration at Buchanan Bus Station at the weekend with activists wearing Flynn masks, as they insisted the £2 bus fare cap set to be rolled out by the SNP "won’t go far enough to fix the city’s ailing bus system".
Activists could be heard shouting "Hear us shout, Stephen Flynn, public buses we will win" outside the city's main bus terminal.
Stella Rooney, chair of Living Rent Glasgow, said: “Our members are taking a stand because we are fed up with Glasgow’s buses.
“Fares are too high, buses are unreliable, and essential services are being cut - all while we continue to subsidise private companies who pick and choose which routes they run based on profit, not the needs of our communities.
“We can’t wait another five years for better buses. We need the Scottish Government to speed up the process of bus franchising by committing to an investment and simplifying legislation.
“We are asking Stephen Flynn to meet with us and discuss the state of public transport in Glasgow, and find some real solutions.
"As our Transport Secretary, ensuring our communities are served by quality, affordable public transport is surely a priority. In continuing to refuse to talk to us, he is sending a clear message to the people of Glasgow: that our concerns are not as important as bus companies’ profits”
Glasgow residents face the highest bus fares in the UK. Single bus fares in Glasgow are on average twice the price of fares in London and 50% more than in Edinburgh, according to Living Rent.
Despite the high costs, more than half of bus operator revenue is subsidised, with 58% coming from the Scottish Government or councils. On average, 10p in every pound spent on buses goes to private bus operator profits.
Speaking to The National Podcast recently, Get Glasgow Moving’s Ellie Harrison said what needs to be done in Glasgow "is not rocket science" and called on Flynn to support changes to legislation.
Get Glasgow Moving is planning a rally at the Scottish Parliament on September 2 specifically focusing on overhauling buses in the city.
It comes after Flynn told The National an integrated system allowing Scots to use a single ticket across different modes of public transport will be in place before the next Holyrood election.
Flynn said he wanted integrated ticketing in place “as quickly as possible” and that progress on a “single ticket – tap on, tap off” system had been one of his early questions after taking on his new Cabinet position.
Rooney added: “We need affordable, reliable transport in our city. The money that currently ends up in the pockets of private shareholders should be spent on bringing buses back into public control.
“The bus fare cap might work well in other parts of Scotland, but it won’t make much difference to residents in Glasgow who need to take three buses to get across the city. It won’t bring back our night buses, or any of the other essential services that have been slashed over the past decade.”
