McGill's CEO slams lack of action from Inverclyde Council

The company wrote to director of environment and regeneration Stuart Jamieson last month to highlight issues on Inverkip's Main Street which impact the punctuality of its buses.

The bus operator says a lack of parking controls make navigation ‘extremely awkward and time consuming’.

CEO Ralph Roberts told the Telegraph that the local authority has been aware of the issues his company have been experiencing in Inverkip for the past five years.

He is now calling on the council to take action after a senior councillor recently backed Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s (SPT) plans to franchise bus services.

Councillor David Wilson, who serves as SPT vice-chair, said the recommendations were 'the best options to take forward proper bus reform for our area'.

Mr Roberts said: “Cllr Wilson wants better bus services in Inverclyde – who doesn’t – but when McGill’s West approached Inverclyde Council to take action in Inverkip Main Street to retain their last remaining bus service, the council chose to do nothing.

“All that was needed was some traffic management - a bit of paint, in effect – but it seems that it is too much effort to save a bus service from serving this remote community.

READ MORE: McGill's Buses chief hits out over franchising funding call

“Congestion due to badly parked cars cause expensive delays and McGill's will have no choice left but to withdraw from Inverkip at the next timetable review.

“Words are very cheap but actions speak louder and reveal what you would get if Inverclyde Council ran the buses - higher prices and reduced services.

“The buses are not the problem in Inverclyde, the lack of roads management in Inverclyde is the problem.

“What Inverclyde Council says about buses is completely different to what Inverclyde Council does about buses.”

Ralph Roberts (Image: McGill's)

McGill’s says ‘zero’ action has been taken to help buses cope with ‘out-of-control’ parking on Main Street, with Mr Roberts claiming that neither Inverclyde Council nor Cllr Wilson ‘practice what they preach’.

Cllr Wilson noted that he had spoken with Mr Jamieson regarding the problems in Inverkip to assist with ‘smooth movement of buses and other traffic’.

He added: “Inverclyde Council have also asked SPT for £440,000 capital grant for a project to develop Inverkip Bus Laybys.

“SPT are sympathetic to this request and if they receive their Capital allocation from the Scottish Government for 2024/2025 then the intention is to allocate the monies in 2024/2025.

“Bus laybys would also improve the service frequency for the village using the quite excellent Largs to Buchanan Street route.

“Both the Council and SPT are keen to work with McGill’s Buses to improve public transport in Inverclyde.”

Inverclyde Council said a meeting will be held with McGill’s on April 8 to ‘better understand the issues’.

A spokesperson for the local authority added: “In the meantime, we are working with our partners at SPT and other key stakeholders to examine what opportunities are available to make improvements to the area recognising the importance of Inverkip as travel route and McGill’s as a key local operator and employer, as well taking steps to install multiple bus cages at the bus stops in Inverkip.

“Enforcement officers regularly patrol our town and village centres, including Inverkip, and take action as required, such as issuing fixed penalty notices where a vehicle has contravened local parking rules.

“However, drivers should not have to be reminded of their legal and moral obligations to park considerately and in line with parking regulations while being respectful of other road users.”