r/Glasgow Tools

Title
Author	eenbiertje
Comment	* Join, follow, support, share https://www.getglasgowmoving.org/. They are the main campaign group for better public transport in Glasgow. Anyone who has an interest in this needs to follow them on social media, sign their petitions, attend their campaign events, etc. Even if you're not getting directly involved with them, remember them and share news of what they're doing next time you hear someone complain about the transport in Glasgow. We need to reach a critical mass of public awareness that the city does have options to improve the transport system which it hasn't yet explored. Part of that is people knowing there's a dedicated campaign group, and channeling their anger/energy through it. * Write to your ward councillor to complain. You need to do this. The 2019 Scottish Transport Act in Hollywood gave local authorities a range of new powers (for the first time since 1985) to better regulate and even run municipal bus companies once more, if they want to... * Currently, GCC is determined to go down the "partnership" route, where they offer yet more incentives to bus companies (bus prioritisation infrastructure and funding for electric buses) in return for their cooperation (slowly rolling out a unified ticketing system). This is easily the least ambitious of the possible approaches. * There is also the "franchise" model, like in Edinburgh or London or many other European cities, where the city mandates what the overall service is and puts that out to contract to be run by private companies. The buses would be Glasgow branded, and Glasgow in charge of key decisions (fares, timetables, routes, etc), but it would be run behind the scenes by private contractors. * Then there's the most ambitious, and most expensive model: municipal ownership. I don't know of anywhere in the UK that does this yet. This is what Get Glasgow Moving are campaigning for, but in my view I'm not sure we need to jump into it as a first option. Maybe in the fullness of time. In any case, a franchise system is a step up from where we are now, and arguably what GCC should do now they have the powers. People need to hold a fire to the feet of GCC to do the most it can. Whether that's using the threat of increased ownership/control to coerce better, faster action from operators, or actually moving ahead with franchising. Whichever, more people in Glasgow need to know this is the situation, and need to let their councillors know that they won't stand for a slow, passive approach to delivering better transport.
Reddit Link	https://www.reddit.com/r/glasgow/comments/vf0thd/transport_what_can_we_do/ictfut4/
Created	Sat 18th Jun 2022 11:10am
Status	normal ()

* Join, follow, support, share **https://www.getglasgowmoving.org/**. They are the main campaign group for better public transport in Glasgow. Anyone who has an interest in this needs to follow them on social media, sign their petitions, attend their campaign events, etc. Even if you're not getting directly involved with them, remember them and share news of what they're doing next time you hear someone complain about the transport in Glasgow. We need to reach a critical mass of public awareness that the city does have options to improve the transport system which it hasn't yet explored. Part of that is people knowing there's a dedicated campaign group, and channeling their anger/energy through it.

* Write to your ward councillor to complain. You need to do this. The 2019 Scottish Transport Act in Hollywood gave local authorities a range of new powers (for the first time since 1985) to better regulate and *even run* municipal bus companies once more, if they want to...

* Currently, GCC is determined to go down the **"partnership"** route, where they offer yet more incentives to bus companies (bus prioritisation infrastructure and funding for electric buses) in return for their cooperation (slowly rolling out a unified ticketing system). This is easily the least ambitious of the possible approaches.

* There is also the **"franchise"** model, like in Edinburgh or London or many other European cities, where the city mandates what the overall service is and puts that out to contract to be run by private companies. The buses would be Glasgow branded, and Glasgow in charge of key decisions (fares, timetables, routes, etc), but it would be run behind the scenes by private contractors.

* Then there's the most ambitious, and most expensive model: **municipal ownership**. I don't know of anywhere in the UK that does this yet. This is what Get Glasgow Moving are campaigning for, but in my view I'm not sure we need to jump into it as a first option. Maybe in the fullness of time. In any case, a franchise system is a step up from where we are now, and arguably what GCC should do now they have the powers.

People need to hold a fire to the feet of GCC to do the most it can. Whether that's using the threat of increased ownership/control to coerce better, faster action from operators, or actually moving ahead with franchising.

Whichever, more people in Glasgow need to know this is the situation, and need to let their councillors know that they won't stand for a slow, passive approach to delivering better transport.