Bus company McGill’s are to withdraw a vital service which will leave two Renfrewshire villages without a bus service to Paisley or Inchinnan.
Service 19, which runs between Paisley, Houston, Bridge of Weir and Johnstone Service 8, between Linwood to Johnstone will end as of the 26th March.
McGill’s blame a drop in passenger numbers and say they are no longer able to continue the services.
The Greenock to Glasgow McGill’s bus and the Kilmacolm to Johnstone service, that runs every hour and a half during the day, will be the only two services that remain in the area providing a limited service to Johnstone if you wish to travel onto Paisley.
A local councillor has said that she is outraged that local residents have only been given 5 weeks notice of the changes and has vowed to fight the decision.
Natalie Don, SNP councillor for Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank told Renfrewshire News that residents of Bridge of Weir and Houston will now be expected to travel to Johnstone or Linwood if they wish to get to Paisley.
She said: “This is terrible news for Bridge of Weir and Houston and I am extremely angry that McGill’s have taken this decision. The number 19 bus has been a staple in our villages for as long as I can remember and is used regularly by the local community.“
“McGill’s have not taken into account the impact that this will have on local people. This decision will hit the elderly hard, and others who use this service regularly to get to work in Inchinnan or Paisley. There are also many young people who will suffer from this decision that rely on this service to get to school, college and university. They will all now have to rely on a limited bus service and leave more time to switch journeys in between.”
“The fact that McGill’s would make this decision without any consultation and then announce it giving people just over a month to prepare for the changes, is shocking. Already this year we have seen McGill’s get rid of the student day ticket and increase their prices and this is just another example of their lack of respect for local people in Renfrewshire.”
“I have requested a meeting with McGill’s to discuss this decision and can assure residents that I will do everything in my limited power to fight this decision.”