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Glasgow City Region Bus Partnership

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Glasgow City Region Bus Partnership brings together as a voluntary partnership the eight Glasgow City Region local authorities, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, bus operators and bus passenger representative groups to address the current challenges to bus travel, and to improve the passenger experience for communities across the City Region.

Vision and Aims

The partnership's vision is of a City Region where bus services form part of a network of connectivity, enhancing the opportunities and wellbeing of those who live or visit here, as well as providing safe, affordable, enjoyable connections, with reduced road congestion, noise and air pollution. 

Aims of the Glasgow City Region Bus Partnership include:

  • Improving bus priority mechanisms and reducing congestion to improve bus journey times and reliability
  • Ensuring buses are given higher priority in any future city planning
  • Improving the accuracy of Real Time Passenger Information, and exploring options to introduce an integrated ticketing system

The partnership also brings together partners to explore the availability of funding opportunities that can increase the attractiveness of bus travel.

The work of the Glasgow City Region Bus Partnership seeks to positively impact upon the affordability and accessibility of the bus network and assist with creating the conditions that will increase bus patronage. A faster, cheaper, and better-connected bus network will benefit all bus passengers across the City Region as well as the environment.

The Glasgow and Strathclyde Strategic Bus Network Plan

This plan defines the improvements that are required to deliver a world-class bus network for the region - fully integrated with the rest of the transport system and the region's wider needs. Doing so will realise the wide-ranging benefits that well-used bus networks can provide.

The network planning process has sought to:

  • Strategically reflect on the requirements of a future bus network;
  • Develop a concept network for future Levels of Service; and
  • Present the general case for Supporting Bus Infrastructure.

The network plan includes specific improvements that have been identified as necessary to fully realise the benefits of the proposed bus network. A summary of the plan can be found here (PDF, 2 MB)(opens new window).

Bus Corridor Works

On behalf of the partnership, and using a grant from the Transport Scotland's Bus Partnership Fund, Glasgow City Council appointed external consultants in March 2022 to develop business cases for five strategic bus corridors in the city:

  • Dumbarton Road
  • Great Western Road
  • Maryhill Road
  • Paisley Road West
  • Pollokshaws Road

A Strategic Business Case that presents and appraises potential options to implement bus priority measures along each bus corridor was approved by Transport Scotland in February 2023. You can read more about this here (PDF, 24 MB)(opens new window), with a  summary version of the Strategic Business Case available here (PDF, 165 KB)(opens new window).

An Outline Business Case covering the strategic, economic, management, financial and commercial case for each corridor was subsequently developed and submitted to Transport Scotland for review and approval in July 2023.

Subject to approval of the Outline Business Case, the Glasgow City Region Bus Partnership would require funding from Transport Scotland to progress each corridor to Final Business Case, including detailed design development. Extensive public consultation would also be undertaken at this time on bus priority infrastructure schemes for each corridor allocated funding. And vitally, community and stakeholder engagement would inform the development and appraisal of options as a key component of the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance process.

Due to budgetary constraints, it was announced in January 2024 that Bus Partnership Fund funding has been paused until the end of the 2024-25 financial year. 

It is anticipated that development work on the five strategic corridors can progress further once future funding streams become available.

Minutes and Agendas

 

Terms of reference

 

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Last modified on 10 March 2025

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