by Nicola Brown

A CLYDEBANK councillor has called for a socially necessary bus service.

Councillor Gail Casey challenged SPT reps about their commitment to Clydebank's hospital bus service, which ended its six month pilot on Saturday 17 September.

The service, which campaigners argued was "much needed" and took "a fraction of the 90 minutes from Drumchapel", was trialled for six months to gauge whether it was needed and commercially viable.

Despite seeing 600 to 900 passengers each week, SPT have no long term plans in place to continue the service.

At the West Dunbartonshire Community Planning Partnership held last Wednesday, Councillor Casey said: “As a Clydebank resident I want to know what SPT will do to ensure that the people of Clydebank can get access to the QEUH. The Council has done its bit and we now have data of the bus usage. But I don’t accept that this is the end of the road. There is a need for a bus service from Clydebank to the QEUH.”

Councillor Casey added: “It’s not feasible to expect some elderly and vulnerable people to make a bus journey involving three changes each way to the QEUH. Also, this can be a barrier to family and friends visiting patients at the hospital and I would argue that the three buses each way is not a good example of a SPTs ‘seamless transition’.

Currently, SPT invests £11m each year supporting “socially necessary bus services”, which included the CQ1 Clydebank – Queen Elizabeth University Hospital service. Following the pilot bus service in Clydebank, SPT provided bus companies with details of the numbers of passengers using the service, though claimed none them saw the service as commercially viable, with figures coming "nowhere near" covering the cost of the £1825 per week paid by West Dunbartonshire Council.

A SPT spokesperson said: “Travel between Clydebank and the QEUH involves changing buses. That is no different from many other areas in and around Glasgow and it is neither permitted, nor can we afford, to fund subsidised bus services simply to provide the convenience of a direct link.

“Outpatient transport is the responsibility of the NHS and those who are unable to travel are recommended to contact it for assistance with their transport requirements.”

The B.O.S.S group that spearheaded the Clydebank - QEUH bus service campaign had urged Clydebank residents to use the service whilst it was being piloted if they had any hope of it continuing.

Member of the group and chair of Dalmuir and Mountblow Community Council, Danny Lennie, said: "The people answered the call and can be proud, they deserve and have earned their bus. We are prepared now to take this fight all the way, we have anticipated this and we are prepared for this.

"Once again B.O.S.S would like to thank the public, the Clydebank post, the Councillors, our MSP as well as your radio and real radio for the huge support you have shown the campaign.

"Profit before people was expected so now the real fight begins and thanks to each and every one of you we have the ammunition not just to fight but to win."

The NHS were approached but did not respond with a comment.