A BUS service described as a “lifeline” for Barrhead residents will be axed at the end of next month.

McGill’s had originally planned to pull the number 52, which makes 16 stops in the town, in January but the decision sparked an angry response from passengers.

After a meeting with campaigners, the firm agreed to delay the move until April 1 to allow further consideration to be given to the service’s long-term future.

Now it has confirmed the service will be scrapped on April 29.

The announcement was made after a further meeting was held last week, involving McGill’s staff, community activist Rena McGuire, a representative from Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT), East Renfrewshire Council leader Owen O’Donnell and local councillors.

Ms McGuire put forward ideas to keep the route operational, including reducing the service to Monday to Friday, with the last bus at 4.40pm.
However, her efforts were unsuccessful.

She told the Barrhead News: “I also sent all details of the (new) retail park and followed up to say the bus could pick up and drop off inside the retail park and that would increase numbers.

“It’s not only elderly people using this bus, it’s the weans going to school. There are a lot of angles to it but they just weren’t interested. Their mind was made up at the meeting.

“More than 1,000 people have signed a petition but it’s done nothing.”

Following the meeting, Councillor O’Donnell called for more statutory powers and funding for SPT and local authorities to manage bus routes “as a service to our people, rather than as a profit centre for private bus companies.”

He added: “It was a very disappointing meeting and despite good alternative suggestions being proposed by Rena, McGill’s are ploughing on regardless with their intention of withdrawing the 52 service at the end of April.

“This is a big blow to local residents in Barrhead who are dependent on this service.”

Councillors Angela Convery and Chris Lunday, who also attended the meeting, as well as West Scotland MSP Paul O’Kane and East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald also expressed their disappointment at the decision to end the service at the end of next month.

Cllr Convery said: “As well as taking away the 52 they are replacing the 54, reducing the 51 and making changes to the 3. 

“That’s 100% of the services they supply to East Renfrewshire. It’s very disappointing, and not good enough.”

Indeed, earlier this month, McGill’s explained that passengers were facing major changes to routes and timetables, as well as the withdrawal of some services, in East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde as ‘Covid Recovery’ financial support is pulled by the Scottish Government.

The bus service resuscitation package was put in place to support journeys and protect fares while patronage continued to recover from the impacts of the pandemic.

A spokesperson for McGill’s said: “As intimated back in January when McGill’s agreed to fund the service for an additional 10 weeks, any longer-term future for the route would require a public funding package to be put in place.

“We remain committed to dialogue with local representatives to determine whether this can be achieved.”