Scrooge Bus Bosses Cancel Christmas, Services cut back as profits treble Options

[*Guest*]

Maybe there was some point to the English historians comments.

I think that maybe there was because Glasgow was once a decent place for decent people who looked after each other in every way possible. Can that still be said of this great city?

[bilbo.s]

Maybe there was some point to the English historians comments.

I am wondering similarly about your comment.

[jamjar51]

It is the first time in five years that holiday bus services will not be provided to the public during the festive season, and comes at at time when vulnerable groups have become increasignly reliant on public transport as weather conditions deteriorate across the city, trapping many vulnerable people in their homes.

If people are trapped in their homes what use is a bus anyway. Christmas is for everyone to enjoy not for everyone except bus drivers.

[jamjar51]

So, everybody should hiv a holiday at Christmas? Fine, we'll jist shut doon aw the hospitals, fire stations, polis stations, coastguard stations - an why don't aw the workers in the electricity and gas supply industry join in - surely they're entitled tae a holiday as well? Efter aw, it disnae really matter if ye hiv a heart attack, get frazzled in a fire, get murdered, or sit freezin yer erse aff - as long as everybody gets a holiday at Christmas, right?

There's a bit of a difference fae a nurse working and a bus driver driving doon empty streets in case someone fancies a day oot. We still need emergency services, we can do without getting a bus two stops along the street tae a pal's hoose. If they walk it will put less stress on they nurses.

[wee davy]

For a city the size of Glasgow, I would've thought it critical to have at least a 'holiday' service available - people in hospital, still need visiting - the old and the vulnerable still need visiting - I think the bus company in Glasgow, should rethink their 'profit at all costs' approach.

If they're making such HUGE profits I'm sure they could easily pour some of it back into providing a skeletal service of some description.
I feel sure they ought to be obliged to provide such? If not surely they will be subject to a contractual review?

Think again, First Bus.
The citizens of Glasgow deserve better for lining your pockets with gold!
As benny says, there are SKIPLOADS of essential services working. Not all will run a car - and may not even be ABLE to!

Sort these people out Glasgow CC. Don't let David Starkey be proved right

[weelew]

So, everybody should hiv a holiday at Christmas? Fine, we'll jist shut doon aw the hospitals, fire stations, polis stations, coastguard stations - an why don't aw the workers in the electricity and gas supply industry join in - surely they're entitled tae a holiday as well? Efter aw, it disnae really matter if ye hiv a heart attack, get frazzled in a fire, get murdered, or sit freezin yer erse aff - as long as everybody gets a holiday at Christmas, right?

Spot on .

[TeeHeeHee]

... Fine, we'll jist shut doon aw the ... coastguard stations

The 8 operational Scottish coast guard stations are being reduced to 1 (one) courtesy of your new cost-cutting coalition government anyway. One coast guard station left to cover the whole coast line of Scotland, the Islands and the rigs.
Don't go sailing over the holidays lads.

[jamjar51]

The 8 operational Scottish coast guard stations are being reduced to 1 (one) courtesy of your new cost-cutting coalition government anyway. One coast guard station left to cover the whole coast line of Scotland, the Islands and the rigs.
Don't go sailing over the holidays lads.

Listen it's Christmas Day and we're no aw Jimmy Johnstone's

As Rod wid chant WE ARE SAILING WE ARE SAILING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TeeHeeHee]

I wonder if the last extant coast guard station will be the one where Prince William: who is on the Christmas duty rota and can't get to the Sandringham celebrations at Christmas; with HM His Granny, is stationed.

[jamjar51]

I wonder if the last extant coast guard station will be the one where Prince William: who is on the Christmas duty rota and can't get to the Sandringham celebrations at Christmas; with HM His Granny, is stationed.

Aw gie's peace, whit dae ye think the helicopter is on call is for, ye don't expect the boys tae sail up after a swally. You hiv been a minion too long. It's christmas, wullie boy is on the wagon and on the copter duty tae fly his pal Harry Hewitt tae the party.

Failing that they could all get on the bevy an wait fur a bus, Benny giein his spiels might jist embarrass a few drivers to get aff their arse an go to work

[droschke7]

Agree with the bus company. Last year virtually no one used buses on Christmas Day. It gives the drivers and staff a Christmas Day off. Nothing to do with service provision as both Christmas and New Years day are statutory holidays. How many Glasgow Board users travelled by bus in Glasgow last Christmas Day ? What has profit got to do with this? You should be glad companies make profits because if they did not then your tax bills would go up. Look at Edinburgh trams. Will they ever make a profit and now they are considering taking over the profitable bus company to help cover any loss on the trams.

I do hope you don't get sick on either of those days as they are "statutory Holidays" and as such the Doctors and Nurses should be at home with their families. "Before opening Mouth please put Brain in Gear".

[GG]

Posted by hank via the report button:

I worked for many years in the newspaper industry where there were only such things as days 1-365 we worked christmas and new years days christmas eve and hogmanay to bring out your newspapers, I do believe people deserve their holidays but not everyone likes christmas and new year so let them work where required, but what we have here with first bus offering a third class or no service at all is nothing short of keeping the share holders happy, VIVA CAPATALISM, get a grip first bus, you are only letting the PEOPLE who keep you on the road with bums on seats down in a big way,OK folks move to another bus service if possible and a wee protest for a month or so will let first bus realise how daft they were.

GG.

[droschke7]

There's a bit of a difference fae a nurse working and a bus driver driving doon empty streets in case someone fancies a day oot. We still need emergency services, we can do without getting a bus two stops along the street tae a pal's hoose. If they walk it will put less stress on they nurses.

Brilliant and how are the emergency services supposed to get to work if the Busses aren't running?

[TeeHeeHee]

Aw gie's peace, whit dae ye think the helicopter is on call is for, ye don't expect the boys tae sail up after a swally. You hiv been a minion too long. It's christmas, wullie boy is on the wagon and on the copter duty tae fly his pal Harry Hewitt tae the party.

Failing that they could all get on the bevy an wait fur a bus, Benny giein his spiels might jist embarrass a few drivers to get aff their arse an go to work

Well I'll bow to your many years of experience in the military and knowledge of how these things function when the boss goes off and leaves a skeleton crew.
Mind you; on second thoughts, it wasn't like that when I served in the RAF and had to work Christmas or New Year. Maybe you served in Fred Karno's forces.
Good ol' Fred!

[GG]

And here's the rub, for a so-called private company: according to an article in The Herald in October this year, First Bus Glasgow was paid £151.6m (of public, taxpayers' money) from Transport Scotland to administer the concessionary travel scheme ... "despite not accurately recording how many passengers were issued with free tickets".

Scotland’s biggest bus company was paid more than £150 million in the first four years of the Government’s concessionary travel scheme, despite not accurately recording how many passengers were issued with free tickets.

First Glasgow, a subsidiary of the Aberdeen-based transport giant, was the only company in Scotland to opt to use passenger surveys to count the number of disabled and elderly passengers with concessionary tickets, rather than data from ticketing systems, when the policy was introduced in 2006.

New figures disclosed to The Herald show that, prior to the introduction in April of mandatory electronic ticketing systems that accurately recorded concessionary passengers, First Glasgow was paid £151.6m from Transport Scotland, which administers the scheme. ...

Full story here:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transpo...cheme-1.1064294

GG.