McGill's Buses - Renfrewshire & Inverclyde

[smtglasgow]

Makes sense given services are increasing. It's a shame such set ups can not be permanent and more widespread.

I’ve said this before, but I reckon the 9/38 corridor would be a great place to experiment with a Quality Bus Partnership. In normal times there are far too many buses heading to Paisley. Some sort of deal to reduce to a more sensible combined frequency and joint ticketing would be sensible (and commercially sustainable), but First and McGills seem happy with their (reasonably friendly) competition atm.

 

[Stan Drews]

The service changes in the Inverclyde area, that were due to be implemented just after we entered lockdown, will now be introduced from 3rd August. All other services will return to their pre-Covid timetables from the same date.

Inverclyde Changes from 3rd August 2020

McGills Buses

www.mcgillsbuses.co.uk

Inverclyde Changes from 3rd August 2020

We are updating some of your McGill's services from Monday 3rd August 2020.

530 - New fast direct journeys between Kilmacolm Cross and Port Glasgow - every 30 minutes! Click here to view timetable.

531 - Now every 20 minutes with all journeys service Bardrainney Avenue and Moss Road, No longer serves Kilmacolm see service 530 instead & Evening journeys discounted see X7 instead. Click here to view new timetable.

532 - Now every 20 minutes. Click here to view new timetable.

533 - Now every 20 minutes with some alterations to the school day journeys service Newark Primary. Click here to view new timetable.

547 - Now extended to serve Lunderston bay. Click here to view new timetable.

901/906 - Minor journey time changes to improve punctuality. Click here to view new timetable.

 

[380gk]

Horrendous that Kilmalcolm has lost a direct bus service to Greenock, really.
The X7 should really be going back to serving Greenock all day rather than having a minibus shuttling between Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm. Even an hourly Greenock X7 with an hourly Port Glasgow 530 would have been better than this.

I still think it’s a bit weird that McGills haven’t tried to tap into the expanded Bishopton market yet (might take some money from the faster ScotRail service if they’re priced right).

 

[overthewater]

They must not be that much demand between Greenock and Kilmacolm? I agree, why hasn't Mcgills diverted off Via Bishopton, they could go via new scheme new road, to save time you can pull them out of Breahead. It would just be under 15mins mark. ( IE just every 30mins only)

 

[Stan Drews]

They must not be that much demand between Greenock and Kilmacolm?

There isn’t!

 

[overthewater]

There isn’t!

Cheers. If it was me I would have bolted it on to the 1/1a SPT contract to provide a straight thought link between Port Glasgow and Johnstone, never know its possible some people might use it.

 

[PaulMc7]

Only been through Kilmacolm in a car with my girlfriend but any bus I've seen has been extremely quiet so can't imagine there's much if any demand

 

[sannox]

Don't see the sense of a bus shuttling between the Port and Kilmacolm. It's only about 5 mins from the Port Glasgow High to Kilmacolm Cross, I'd have thought the Slaemuir bus going to Kilmacolm makes more sense.

I agree- some sense in using the new slip road at Bishopton and going through the town rather than using the Renfrew Road slip road.

 

[Stan Drews]

...I'd have thought the Slaemuir bus going to Kilmacolm makes more sense.

Unless it carries mostly fresh air!

 

[sannox]

Unless it carries mostly fresh air!

Well yes, but just strikes me that it would be possible to extend an existing service rather than a new 1-bus shuttle, but then I guess it is tough as Kilmacolm doesn't need the frequency of the buses to the top of the Port.

 

[318266]

They must not be that much demand between Greenock and Kilmacolm?

I catch a bus from Greenock to Kilmacolm and back for school and can confirm that it is mainly on the morning X7 that I see people actually commuting to Kilmacolm from that direction, and even then it isn't many people. In the afternoon, max 5 people get on towards to Kilmacolm, and only 2 or 3 max (including me) go to Greenock. So, I can see why they did this, but still it doesn't make much sense. The new route is also more direct as it goes straight past Slaemuir rather than weaving through all the back roads.

 

[route101]

Do services that McGill operate such as the 72 accept the SPT Daytripper ?

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Do services that McGill operate such as the 72 accept the SPT Daytripper ?

No I don't think they do even though the 72 is an SPT service. They're not on the SPT website as being one of the operators that accept it.

 

[gnolife]

No I don't think they do even though the 72 is an SPT service. They're not on the SPT website as being one of the operators that accept it.

All SPT subsidised routes accept it - there's a footnote on the paricipatong operators list that states it explicitly

 

[GaryMcEwan]

All SPT subsidised routes accept it - there's a footnote on the paricipatong operators list that states it explicitly

Try telling that to a McGills driver. Do come back and let us know how you got on.

 

[gnolife]

Try telling that to a McGills driver. Do come back and let us know how you got on.

Usually quite well, at least for routes operated by Johnstone

 

[318266]

Back when they ran the 306 from Helensburgh to Alexandria there was no problem.

 

[route101]

No I don't think they do even though the 72 is an SPT service. They're not on the SPT website as being one of the operators that accept it.

Just wondering i i used the 72 yesterday with my Daytripper! The driver looked at it and didnt know how to put it through the ticket machine. I thought SPT supported service , surely accept a SPT product.

 

[Stan Drews]

Just wondering i i used the 72 yesterday with my Daytripper! The driver looked at it and didnt know how to put it through the ticket machine. I thought SPT supported service , surely accept a SPT product.

There’s a lot of drivers that don’t always know how to find the right buttons to record all tickets/passes on their ticket machines, especially the ones that they don’t see very often.

 

[route101]

There’s a lot of drivers that don’t always know how to find the right buttons to record all tickets/passes on their ticket machines, especially the ones that they don’t see very often.

Yep, dont think the SPT Daytripper is well used. I offered to pay a single fare but he let it go. Had a Stagey driver have a close look at it , with ' its one of those tickets ' looks at it. A first bus driver shook his head at it.

 

[Volvodart]

Due to very low footfall, from Monday, McGills are "temporarily" removing the XP23 and operating an X23 instead in the morning peak (at normal prices) at a wider frequency with just the one combined route for Erskine and Renfrew to Glasgow.

 

[PaulMc7]

Due to very low footfall, from Monday, McGills are "temporarily" removing the XP23 and operating an X23 instead in the morning peak (at normal prices) at a wider frequency with just the one combined route for Erskine and Renfrew to Glasgow.

Think it won't change too much until all offices etc in the city centre are reopened fully if I'm honest

 

[Volvodart]

From 7 September, the 17 goes from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes and the 545H is temporarily suspended. 545 has slight timing changes and X7 minor alterations Monday to Friday between 1600 and 1700.

 

[overthewater]

So the 17 is now back to how it used to be under Arriva time, is this because the uni has not gone back fully? I can see the 17 getting curtailed back to Patrick. you have to wonder why they is less demand to get to the hospital right now?

 

[PaulMc7]

So the 17 is now back to how it used to be under Arriva time, is this because the uni has not gone back fully? I can see the 17 getting curtailed back to Patrick. you have to wonder why they is less demand to get to the hospital right now?

First have 10 buses an hour between Partick and the hospital so I've got a feeling that might be a part of it. Even before Covid I can't say I'd ever seen the 17 that busy anywhere tbh. Did think a frequency drop would happen eventually. Universities seem to be doing a lot of online learning so it'll probably be November before any normality occurs

 

[Arriva Fan]

Arriva Service 17 was every 20 Minutes, all the way to Spateston. Combined with the 7 Arriva were every 10 Minutes between Ferguslie - Paisley - Partick - Glasgow.

These latest changes just follow the established McGill's PVR Reduction Strategy. I don't think this is the first X7 reduction, but what's happened to the surplus Citaros? I thought when the previous X7 changes happened, they might have made it to Johnstone for the 38?

And what are McGill's withdrawing? The last Darts I imagine?

 

[overthewater]

I remember when they upped the service, but for a time the route via Partick was every 30mins.

The change to the X7 is SO minor I dont get were this Reduction is coming from... two journeys are being merged into one, yet somehow the arr time at the last stop is still the same.

 

[route101]

Arriva Service 17 was every 20 Minutes, all the way to Spateston. Combined with the 7 Arriva were every 10 Minutes between Ferguslie - Paisley - Partick - Glasgow.

These latest changes just follow the established McGill's PVR Reduction Strategy. I don't think this is the first X7 reduction, but what's happened to the surplus Citaros? I thought when the previous X7 changes happened, they might have made it to Johnstone for the 38?

And what are McGill's withdrawing? The last Darts I imagine?

Seen a few older Citaros on the 38 of late. As for Darts , not seen any for ages , what age were they?

 

[Stan Drews]

Arriva Service 17 was every 20 Minutes, all the way to Spateston. Combined with the 7 Arriva were every 10 Minutes between Ferguslie - Paisley - Partick - Glasgow.

These latest changes just follow the established McGill's PVR Reduction Strategy. I don't think this is the first X7 reduction, but what's happened to the surplus Citaros? I thought when the previous X7 changes happened, they might have made it to Johnstone for the 38?

And what are McGill's withdrawing? The last Darts I imagine?

Nothing is being withdrawn, the PVR ‘saved’ is simply being redeployed to routes where capacity can be an issue.

I expect post-Covid many operators will be asking for a copy of this “PVR Reduction Strategy” you mention!

 

[Arriva Fan]

Seen a few older Citaros on the 38 of late. As for Darts , not seen any for ages , what age were they?

There are still 2005 Plaxton Pointer Darts. The same age as some of the oldest Citaro and B7RLEs to be honest. Seem confined to the 64.

Nothing is being withdrawn, the PVR ‘saved’ is simply being redeployed to routes where capacity can be an issue.

I expect post-Covid many operators will be asking for a copy of this “PVR Reduction Strategy” you mention!

That doesn't seem efficient. So they aren't actually withdrawing Buses, and still have the cost of a driver and fuel? Are any of their Routes doing well enough to merit this?

Any operators looking to cut, should look to McGill's as a text book example. Take Erskine North Barr, every 9 Minutes with Arriva Service 23. Gradually cut to every 30 Minutes with McGill's. Look at Spateston, 9 Buses per Hour (Services 17/20/38) now Service 38 every 20 Minutes. Cochrane Castle had a 38 Every 10 Minutes, now Service 20 Every 30 Minutes. Cochrane Castle also took a longer Route to Paisley along with their frequency cut. There are so many examples of McGill's obliterating a Bus Service.

I see McGill's have also got funding to convert 72 Buses (https://www.transport.gov.scot/publ...ottish-bus-emissions-abatement-retrofit-fund/).

What will they be converting? Ex Arriva OmniLinks, Pulars and B7RLE Eclipses? Earlier Citaros (2007 onwards) and their only Enviro 400? I believe 2230-2239 have been upgraded to Euro 6, or the majority have anyway.


BEAR Phase 3 grants awarded in 2020/21 are:

Operator​	Buses / Coaches​	Total Grant awarded​
Lothian Buses​	188​	£2,207,952​
First Glasgow​	165​	£3,099,950​
McGills​	72​	£1,301,790​
Scottish Omnibuses Ltd (Stagecoach)​	63​	£1,148,976​
Xplore Dundee (National Express)​	21​	£392,036​
E&M Horsburgh Ltd​	9​	£171,000​
Dochertys Midland Coaches​	9​	£169,955​
Prentice Westwood​	9​	£171,000​
Houstons Coaches​	9​	£171,000​
Edinburgh Coachlines (1)​	9​	£171,000​
Borders Buses Ltd (West Coast Motors)​	8​	£152,000​
Shiel Buses​	7​	£121,690​
Edinburgh Coachlines (2)​	5​	£91,651​
McLeans Coaches​	5​	£95,000​
MacPhails Coaches​	4​	£76,000​
Moffat & Williamson Ltd​	3​	£57,000​
Halls Coaches​	3​	£57,000​
Silverdale Coaches​	2​	£38,000​
Kevin's Coaches Ltd​	2​	£38,000​
Red Bus Bistro Co Ltd​	1​	£19,000​
Total​	594​	£9,757,000​