Get Glasgow Moving

New Campaign Campaigns

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  Time to take back our buses!

  People in Greater Glasgow have suffered at the hands of private bus companies far too long, with rip-off fares and routes being cut leaving communities isolated. During the coronavirus crisis FirstGroup received massive public bailouts to keep essential bus services running for key-workers. Despite this they are now axing routes all over the place – the X1, X2, 32 and 208 to name just a few. This has to stop! We urgently need Glasgow City Council, SPT and the Transport Secretary to intervene. We cannot afford to keep throwing public money at private companies which don’t deliver the public transport that we need. Greater Glasgow needs a publicly-owned bus company that puts passengers first, like Edinburgh’s Lothian Buses (on Lothian fares are £1.80 compared to £2.50 on First Glasgow). WHY NOW? New powers in the Transport Act 2019 finally allow councils and transport authorities (like SPT) to own and operate bus services. If FirstGroup is close to financial collapse and cutting vital routes to stay afloat, then it’s time for us to ‘take back our buses’ – to buyout not bailout the company – and start running services in the interests of our region’s people. This is what Aberdeen City Council is planning to do, and this is what Glasgow must do too, in collaboration with the surrounding councils in our region and SPT, with support from the Scottish Government. Public ownership is essential to prioritise safety, save public money and help improve services in the long-term – reinstating routes to isolated communities and integrating bus services with trains and subway. It’s the only way to deliver the world-class, fully-integrated public transport network that we need to: address the climate emergency, prevent poverty and isolation, boost the local economy, tackle toxic air pollution and create a people-friendly city. CAMPAIGN HISTORY We first launched the ‘take back our buses’ campaign on 19 June 2019, after FirstGroup announced they were planning to sell their UK bus businesses. We gathered more than 3,500 signatures on this petition within a week. Glasgow City Council responded and on 27 June 2019, they passed a motion to investigate “what the process of acquiring and operating bus operational assets could involve”. On 29 January 2020, we delivered this petition, then signed by 7,093 people, to Council Leader Susan Aitken and were told that FirstGroup was no longer selling. The outcomes of the Council’s investigations have never materialised. Instead Glasgow City Council and SPT appear to have reverted to developing a ‘partnership’ with bus companies. On 18 June 2020, they published a paper saying they aimed to “closely align with the needs and requirements of the bus industry”. This is the opposite of putting passengers first and delivering the public transport that we need. We re-launched this campaign on 21 July 2020 to demand that Glasgow City Council, SPT and the Transport Secretary intervene to stop the cuts and act to bring our buses back into public ownership now.

  7,801 of 8,000 Signatures

  Created by Get Glasgow Moving
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  Get Glasgow Moving - world-class transport for Glasgow

  Most people in Glasgow rely on public transport to get around (only 49% of households have cars), yet our public transport network is a total mess. Investing in public transport is essential for expanding our region’s economy, addressing inequality and social isolation, reducing toxic levels of air pollution and tackling climate change. Bickering between political parties is letting Glasgow down. We are decades behind other cities in providing affordable and sustainable transport. We are calling for: • a publicly-owned bus company for Greater Glasgow, to offer a great service like Edinburgh's Lothian Buses • affordable, integrated ticketing, with a region-wide smartcard and daily price cap • bike hire stations across the region, with free access for concessionary card holders • a democratically-accountable Transport Authority for Greater Glasgow, with power over the entire transport network (traffic/parking controls and public transport) • a coordinated, long-term vision and investment to meet the region's transport needs

  11,375 of 15,000 Signatures

  Created by Get Glasgow Moving
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  Think Outside the Circle: Extend Glasgow’s Subway!

  Glasgow’s Subway network has being going in circles for too long! Built in 1896, Glasgow has the third oldest underground in the world but, unlike all other cities, Glasgow has never extended its Subway. The Subway is not accessible to the majority living in Glasgow and as a result is underused for a city of its size. The ridership of Glasgow’s Subway compares poorly to that of geographically smaller and less populated cities such as Lisbon whose annual underground ridership is 140.9 million, while Glasgow Subway’s annual ridership is 12.8 mil, despite having the larger population. Transport for London (London’s version of SPT) is currently building a new high-speed underground line Crossrail, now known as the 'Elizabeth Line' and has just released inspiring plans for Crossrail2, to be completed 2030. Remember when Glasgow was going to have a Crossrail too? Why isn’t Scotland’s largest city worth this level of investment? And why doesn't SPT have an ambitious long-term plan? http://www.crossrail2.co.uk Fewer cars mean less congestion, more space, and cleaner air above ground for cyclists, pedestrians and remaining motorists. Glasgow has the lowest level of car ownership in Scotland, and some of the worst levels of air pollution. Many people have no choice but to drive due to poor public transport provisions. An extended Subway network would provide a lifeline to isolated communities, improve everyone's overall mobility, and reduce reliance on cars and the problem of scarcity of parking spaces. In 2007, SPT produced a report that showed huge support for a Subway extension, and said they were “ in tune with the needs of the public”. “...we want what you want. This city needs a world-class Subway system. That’s what our passengers deserve. I realise an extension won’t come cheap and we still have lots of hurdles to overcome but, in my view, what the public wants, the public should get. This is a ringing endorsement from the people who would use the extended Subway.” Councillor Alistair Watson, SPT http://www.spt.co.uk/corporate/2007/03/survey-shows-spt-in-tune-with-the-public Since then, recent modernisation has only made cosmetic and technological improvements. Glasgow doesn’t need a novelty train - it needs an underground system fit to carry a growing 21st century population in a 21st century city! Don’t just take our word for it: “We need to face the facts that the current system is fraying at the edges. The Subway has served Glasgow well for over a hundred years but we now need to invest further in the city’s infrastructure. These proposals contain bold visions. They would give Glasgow a 21st century transport system for a 21st century city. What we now need to do is work out how we can make that happen.” Ron Culley, Chief Executive of SPT (2006 - 2010) http://www.spt.co.uk/corporate/2007/03/survey-shows-spt-in-tune-with-the-public “It is tragic that there has been absolutely no progress over the past decade in moving people from cars on to public transport. As the new strategy sets out, the past decade has seen a 2% increase in traffic levels, while public transport use has declined by 6%.” Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland http://transformscotland.org.uk/blog/2016/01/21/lack-of-progress-on-key-trends-shows-wasted-decade-on-scottish-transport-policy Let’s show SPT we haven’t forgotten their promise of an extended Subway system! If ‘People Make Glasgow’, then SPT and the government have to put their money where their mouth is! Sign the petition to extend Glasgow’s Subway and demand a comprehensive underground system fit to serve not just the few, but all the people of Glasgow! ___________________________________________ Follow the campaign: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/glasgowtube Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/glasgowtube

  7,598 of 8,000 Signatures

  Created by Get Glasgow Moving