STEPHEN Flynn has turned down a third meeting with another Glasgow campaign group looking to hold talks on bus franchising.
The National revealed Scotland’s Transport Secretary had twice snubbed meetings with Get Glasgow Moving which is looking to change “completely mad” legislation on franchising.
But now it has emerged he has also rejected a meeting with Living Rent who emailed him in June.
An email from the Scottish Government the group shared on social media said Flynn could not meet due to “existing commitments”.
A report on Glasgow bus services in June – produced jointly by Living Rent, Get Glasgow Moving and Common Weal – showed nearly nine in 10 feel they aren't good enough, with campaigners calling for the creation of a publicly-owned bus company.
Among its recommendations, the report urged the Scottish Government to introduce legislation to simplify bus franchising powers and provide an additional £100 million a year for five years to support the transition.
Living Rent put out a video on Instagram directed at Flynn after receiving his rejection.
It said: “We emailed you way back in June and you can’t even find 30 minutes to meet with us before the Programme for Government is set in September.
“You’ve been elected as Transport Minister, but you don’t really seem to want to do your job.
“Are you too busy?"
“Sure, the £2 bus fare sounds great, depending on where you live, as a policy, but in Glasgow where we have private companies running our buses, I’m a little confused as to how this is going to work.
“We need publicly owned transport before we need a bus fare cap, Stephen. You did commit to supporting franchising, but is that just another empty promise?”
The video mocked other social media content Flynn had produced, including a video of him running on a beach in the Western Isles shortly after being elected to Holyrood and one of him up a mountain in a Dundee United shirt.
Living Rent is set to stage a demonstration outside Buchanan Bus Station on Sunday at 12pm in a bid to send a message to Flynn about the importance of bus franchising.
Stella Rooney, Glasgow chair of Living Rent, told The National: “Stephen Flynn needs to get his act together and engage with community members on the way that Glasgow’s transport system is run.
"Right now, Glasgow residents are suffering with steep fares, unreliable services and essential routes cut, and we can’t take it any longer. We need bus franchising to bring fares down, and ensure that we have reliable, affordable bus services planned with residents, not profit margins, in mind.
"In the time that the SNP have been promising Glaswegians bus franchising, Manchester, Liverpool, the West Midlands, and several other regions in the UK have completed the project or are well on their way. This doesn’t have to take years if the government is strategic, pushes through relevant legislation and funds public services to do it.
"If Stephen Flynn is serious about resolving the issues that night workers, carers, families, tourists and anyone wanting to travel around the Strathclyde region faces, he needs to come and speak with those who are experiencing it first-hand."
Speaking to The National Podcast last week, 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.
"I've written to him twice to ask for a meeting since he became Transport Secretary, both have been declined because he's too busy, so that's not a good start," she said.
"He [Flynn] has announced he would be bringing forward better buses legislation during this parliament, but it's really not rocket science what needs to be done."
Harrison said Get Glasgow Moving is also planning a rally at the Scottish Parliament on September 2 specifically focusing on overhauling buses in the city.
The email sent to Living Rent from the Scottish Government said: “Unfortunately, due to existing commitments Mr Flynn will have to respectfully decline your request at this time.
“He acknowledges the points raised in your email and will take these into consideration.
“I have been asked to assure you that the Scottish Government wants all local transport authorities to be able to improve their local bus services. That’s why legislation has been used to provide a suite of powers for local authorities that they can explore and use to make the necessary improvements as they see it.”
Transport Scotland has been approached for further comment.
