First Greater Glasgow

[duffers2324]

Yes i will miss the B7RLE's i have always thought even now that they are good machines, the last of the decent heavyweight single decker buses IMO

Im assuming that services that would have normally been B7RLE's ie the 8 and the 90 will probably become E300 dominated with the odd decker thrown in.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Yes i will miss the B7RLE's i have always thought even now that they are good machines, the last of the decent heavyweight single decker buses IMO

Im assuming that services that would have normally been B7RLE's ie the 8 and the 90 will probably become E300 dominated with the odd decker thrown in.

I seen a few B7RLEs still over in Partick today but some 16 services were E300s. I think someone said Streetlites may be coming over too

 

[Bus Lightyear]

During the first lockdown in March 2020, First Glasgow only ran the 9A to Penilee/Braehead Centre.

McGills still ran the 38 to Paisley/Johnstone/Kilbarchan/Spateston, with both operator specific tickets being accepted on each other's services.

Also, the First Glasgow 9 has normally been running to Paisley (previously Linwood) since the Overground concept in 1999. Before then, I think it may have been the 56 (the 55 was Hillington Ind Estate - later extended to Braehead Centre, and the 54 went to Penilee), with the 39 running from Craigend.

Summer 1986 was when First Glasgow's predecessor company (Strathclyde's Buses) extended to Paisley starting with the 55 to Glenburn. Latterly the 54 extended to Johnstone and the 39 to Bridge of Weir. By 1995 most of these routes had been scaled back to Paisley Cross and Linwood. There were also various ''Wee Happy Bus" routes serving the Paisley schemes with Metrorider microbuses and service 1 via Renfrew which was similar to the Clydeside 24.

Routes and numbers changed quite regularly in the early years of deregulation and I could be here all day going over all the different variants.

 

[sannox]

Summer 1986 was when First Glasgow's predecessor company (Strathclyde's Buses) extended to Paisley starting with the 55 to Glenburn. Latterly the 54 extended to Johnstone and the 39 to Bridge of Weir. By 1995 most of these routes had been scaled back to Paisley Cross and Linwood. There were also various ''Wee Happy Bus" routes serving the Paisley schemes with Metrorider microbuses and service 1 via Renfrew which was similar to the Clydeside 24.

Routes and numbers changed quite regularly in the early years of deregulation and I could be here all day going over all the different variants.

Indeed. Many of the Penilee services extended to Paisley as well by running through the scheme, either as 53 or 54A I think. They stopped that in the late 90s with GCT and then First's 17 (a pretty bizarre route) filling in until they abandoned it around the 2000s to First Stop Travel.

The constant churn of routes in the late 1990s did nothing for passenger confidence.

 

[PaulMc7]

To be honest, I'm surprised First have never cut away from Paisley to be honest. Even when I went to college in Paisley in 2012/13, the 9 wasn't outrageously busy a lot of the time

 

[GaryBrown156]

I have a question that I hope someone can help with please? Is it acceptable for a bus just to bypass a stop with passengers waiting for no apparent reason?

I was standing at the bus stop on Springburn road at the bottom of Charles Street just now waiting on a bus to Buchanan bus station. An 87 (33210) approached. However, about 7 car lengths prior to it arriving to the stop, the driver pulled into the outside lane and flew past the stop, despite 5 people waiting which she clearly had seen as she gave us a sarcastic wave on the way past.

The bus was not at capacity so there was no reason to bypass the stop other than the fact she couldn't be bothered waiting on the traffic lights. This is not the first time this has happened btw and is extremely poor customer service imo.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I have a question that I hope someone can help with please? Is it acceptable for a bus just to bypass a stop with passengers waiting for no apparent reason?

I was standing at the bus stop on Springburn road at the bottom of Charles Street just now waiting on a bus to Buchanan bus station. An 87 (33210) approached. However, about 7 car lengths prior to it arriving to the stop, the driver pulled into the outside lane and flew past the stop, despite 5 people waiting which she clearly had seen as she gave us a sarcastic wave on the way past.

The bus was not at capacity so there was no reason to bypass the stop other than the fact she couldn't be bothered waiting on the traffic lights. This is not the first time this has happened btw and is extremely poor customer service imo.

Definitely not acceptable.

Did anyone at the stop flag the bus down? I've had drivers breeze past stops before because nobody has flagged them down. I'm assuming if there was a crowd of you, someone would've flagged it down.

The only thing you really can do is complain to First about it, give the service and the time it was due at the stop. The bus number (33210) may help too.

 

[Bus Lightyear]

Indeed. Many of the Penilee services extended to Paisley as well by running through the scheme, either as 53 or 54A I think. They stopped that in the late 90s with GCT and then First's 17 (a pretty bizarre route) filling in until they abandoned it around the 2000s to First Stop Travel.

The constant churn of routes in the late 1990s did nothing for passenger confidence.

I forgot about the 17. Started as Govan to Penilee then by the 90s it was quite a long route from Darnley to Linwood taking about 2 hours.

I've no recollection of the 53 going to Paisley but it did go to Shieldhall many years ago.

 

[Spsf3232]

I have a question that I hope someone can help with please? Is it acceptable for a bus just to bypass a stop with passengers waiting for no apparent reason?

I was standing at the bus stop on Springburn road at the bottom of Charles Street just now waiting on a bus to Buchanan bus station. An 87 (33210) approached. However, about 7 car lengths prior to it arriving to the stop, the driver pulled into the outside lane and flew past the stop, despite 5 people waiting which she clearly had seen as she gave us a sarcastic wave on the way past.

The bus was not at capacity so there was no reason to bypass the stop other than the fact she couldn't be bothered waiting on the traffic lights. This is not the first time this has happened btw and is extremely poor customer service imo.

Sounds like no one signalled for the bus to stop so the driver simply moved into right hand lane, and by the time someone did signal it was too late.

 

[PaulMc7]

I think the problem is when buses stop before bus stops because of other services being there too. Oswald Street is awful for it in particular where buses stop right after turning but sometimes so far back they're against the lights.

My local stops are all bad for it in the morning but that's because 3 buses are due within a minute or 2 and are all very good at sticking on time considering it's the morning peak.

 

[GaryBrown156]

Definitely not acceptable.

Did anyone at the stop flag the bus down? I've had drivers breeze past stops before because nobody has flagged them down. I'm assuming if there was a crowd of you, someone would've flagged it down.

The only thing you really can do is complain to First about it, give the service and the time it was due at the stop. The bus number (33210) may help too.

Yes, everyone standing at the stop stuck their hand out and attempted to flag the bus down. I sent in a complaint to First Glasgow (along with 2 other passengers). I very much doubt that anything will be done but fingers crossed.

 

[GusB]

A few posts have been amended and/or deleted today, and I think it's worthwhile making a few points:

• Saying that service X at Y time at Z stop was driven by a woman /man /other gender is absolutely irrelevant when you provide the time of day and the number of the vehicle concerned. The company will be able to find out who was driving and investigate accordingly.
• If you have a bad experience with a bus company, you should really take it up with that company's customer service team and supply them with the relevant facts in the first instance.
• Nobody who works in a public-facing industry is immune from criticism; it's the nature of the beast. This is a forum that is open to all, and if a member of the public posts something that someone in the industry finds uncomfortable, that's too bad.

If there's a post that you are concerned about, please report it to us at the earliest opportunity. We can look at it and take any necessary action. Do not leave it until a few others have replied to that post as it then makes it more difficult for us to un-pick it all.

 

[singlemalt]

Yes, everyone standing at the stop stuck their hand out and attempted to flag the bus down. I sent in a complaint to First Glasgow (along with 2 other passengers). I very much doubt that anything will be done but fingers crossed.

Don't worry, First are very big on discipline. Sometimes I think that's all they care about.

 

[Busman84]

Their discipline and treatment of staff is exactly why they are mega short and big numbers of drivers are leaving each month. Perhaps more respect from management, staff and the public would perhaps ease the issue. Public like grassing on drivers so perhaps getting a poor service is what they deserve.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Public like grassing on drivers so perhaps getting a poor service is what they deserve..

The public wouldn't need to "grass" on drivers if they did their job properly

 

[PaulMc7]

Don't worry, First are very big on discipline. Sometimes I think that's all they care about.

A company being big on discipline isn't a bad thing to be honest. The ideal world is having staff who don't do anything to deserve being disciplined. With the nature of public serving jobs though, drivers will encounter their fair share of horrible people mind you.

I had someone trying to fight a driver on the 3 not so long ago because he wouldn't stop well away from the bus stop.

 

[Joerf21]

That is a good point; were you are talking about public asking drivers were to let them off, to avoid drivers getting hassle? First should have notices on the buses telling the public that it is unlawful for the driver to stop away from bus stops, and point out the driver could get disciplined by the company.

 

[Busman84]

But these days a driver dropping somebody off let’s say at a set of lights or wherever is a hassle. Years ago wasn’t so much of an issue but with most of the fleet having door interlocks once the door opens your stuck stationary until the door is finally closed. Used to be fairly common drivers dropping people off at lights before bus stops in City Centre and the punters appreciated it especially if it was there regular driver. Rules were brought in that doors could only be opened in City Centre at bus stops this just creates more arguments with passengers too.

 

[PaulMc7]

That is a good point; were you are talking about public asking drivers were to let them off, to avoid drivers getting hassle? First should have notices on the buses telling the public that it is unlawful for the driver to stop away from bus stops, and point out the driver could get disciplined by the company.

I worded it horribly to be honest, it was someone trying to get on but well away from a stop so he tried to get the driver to stop in the middle of the road almost on a roundabout and then ran ahead to the next stop because of traffic to start causing trouble.

 

[Bus Lightyear]

Their discipline and treatment of staff is exactly why they are mega short

Is that just the case at First Glasgow or all bus companies as the whole industry is mega short just now.

The public wouldn't need to "grass" on drivers if they did their job properly

We all make mistakes, get over it.

 

[Tom Gallacher]

That is a good point; were you are talking about public asking drivers were to let them off, to avoid drivers getting hassle? First should have notices on the buses telling the public that it is unlawful for the driver to stop away from bus stops, and point out the driver could get disciplined by the company.

I'm sure they used to have such notices, certainly in the days of Strathclyde Transport.

 

[PaulMc7]

I'm sure they used to have such notices, certainly in the days of Strathclyde Transport.

They'd certainly be handy nowadays but whether people actually bother to read them is another matter.

"The customer is always right" mentality still very much applies these days when you see replies to First's social media and hear what passengers say to drivers on a regular basis.

 

[stevenedin]

They'd certainly be handy nowadays but whether people actually bother to read them is another matter.

"The customer is always right" mentality still very much applies these days when you see replies to First's social media and hear what passengers say to drivers on a regular basis.

The problem with signage on the bus is that they can be conflicting. I remember years ago there used to be a sigh saying press the bell and remain seated until the bus comes to a stop and a passenger did this but the driver didn’t stop at the stop and then when the passenger challenged it the driver made out that they had to be standing ready to get off. This must have been about 12 years ago now in Glasgow but it was on a B9TL.

 

[PaulMc7]

The problem with signage on the bus is that they can be conflicting. I remember years ago there used to be a sigh saying press the bell and remain seated until the bus comes to a stop and a passenger did this but the driver didn’t stop at the stop and then when the passenger challenged it the driver made out that they had to be standing ready to get off. This must have been about 12 years ago now in Glasgow but it was on a B9TL.

I think it's different now to be fair especially as I've seen drivers get genuinely raging at people for not pressing the bell to get off. Signage on where drivers can stop will work if all drivers stick to the same rules without bending them.

The City Centre is a major one for it. Some drivers won't open their doors a 2nd time whereas on occasion I've seen it done 5-6 times at certain stops and some drivers won't continue if they're early at timing points whereas others are out of there 3-4 mins early.

If management can set a consistent set of rules that every driver must stick to then it can work. The issue with that though as highlighted by previous comments on here is that some management don't have anywhere near as much "behind the wheel" experience so won't be as aware to some of the inconsistencies as they should be.

 

[Brimfulofasha]

I have a question that I hope someone can help with please? Is it acceptable for a bus just to bypass a stop with passengers waiting for no apparent reason?

I was standing at the bus stop on Springburn road at the bottom of Charles Street just now waiting on a bus to Buchanan bus station. An 87 (33210) approached. However, about 7 car lengths prior to it arriving to the stop, the driver pulled into the outside lane and flew past the stop, despite 5 people waiting which she clearly had seen as she gave us a sarcastic wave on the way past.

The bus was not at capacity so there was no reason to bypass the stop other than the fact she couldn't be bothered waiting on the traffic lights. This is not the first time this has happened btw and is extremely poor customer service imo.

The other possibility is that, as all buses from that stop end at the bus station, another bus was in the correct lane, and so the second bus moved into the outside expecting it to pick up any passengers. I've been frustrated many times by how many light changes it takes to get through there, and I end up thinking, "That passenger could walk it!"

The 87 to/from Auchinairn Woodhill replaced the 10. The 10 replaced the 45. The 45 used to avoid that snarl-up by going through Sighthill (Fountainwell and Pinkston). It did that long after the high flats were demolished, even though it was a dead part of the route. I do remember the change being slated as an improvement, as it then remained on the expressway, however I do think that the delays at that junction eliminated any time savings made! Presumably, now that the high flats have been replaced (one estate has been there for years now, and the new large-scale housing has begun), the route should revert to serve Sighthill once more? Or does the new road layout preclude bus routes?

 

[JD2168]

Still quite a number of SF55 plate B7RLE’s running daily in Doncaster mainly & odd ones in Rotherham if wanting to catch one.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Still quite a number of SF55 plate B7RLE’s running daily in Doncaster mainly & odd ones in Rotherham if wanting to catch one.

Looks like Glasgow are down to their last 9 B7RLEs. FSE still have a good number of the native Glasgow ones.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Looks like Glasgow are down to their last 9 B7RLEs. FSE still have a good number of the native Glasgow ones.

Aberdeen still have 69123 limping along in service too, although it never operated with Glasgow it's one of four B7RLEs (69110/22/23/24) from the Glasgow SF06 batch which were diverted and reregistered prior to entering service, Glasgow instead getting 66988/89/90/91 which were originally intended for Aberdeen.

 

[PaulMc7]

I'm unsure if this has ever been answered but was there ever any logical reasoning given for Caledonia and Scotstoun depot based drivers getting £13 per hour compared to Dumbarton/Overtown and Blantyre getting £12.35 an hour? It makes zero sense especially given that all 3 of the depots on lower rates have routes that cover into Glasgow City Centre.

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

I'm unsure if this has ever been answered but was there ever any logical reasoning given for Caledonia and Scotstoun depot based drivers getting £13 per hour compared to Dumbarton/Overtown and Blantyre getting £12.35 an hour? It makes zero sense especially given that all 3 of the depots on lower rates have routes that cover into Glasgow City Centre.

I'm assuming it will be First Glasgow No.1 vs No. 2 operating companies.