Glasgow’s night-time economy leaders have thanked operators for working together to ensure that the city’s night buses continue to operate. Owners of McGill’s, which has stepped in to operate some of the routes which previous operator First Glasgow said it could no longer support, Sandy and James Easdale met with nightclub owner Donald MacLeod and his young staff, who he said will now have a way to get home in the early hours.
After the first few weekends of operation, McGill’s said passenger numbers were ‘above expected’ levels on the new night services, and Glasgow leisure and hospitality leaders met with McGill’s Group to discuss the services and provide their feedback on adding further routes and increasing the frequency of services in the future.
Donald MacLeod, owner of The Garage and Cathouse nightclubs in Glasgow, said it was vital that McGill’s Group had stepped up and enabled workers and revellers to access the city centre on public transport: “It felt like Glasgow’s hospitality sector was staring into the abyss when it was announced night-time bus services were being pulled. Coupled with trains and a subway system that do not run past midnight and the council’s Low Emission Zone to prevent many cars entering the city centre, it was a real concern how workers and revellers were going to get home at night.
“We’ve been delighted with the services that McGill’s has put on and also the engagement we have had with company bosses. The feedback we have received from staff and customers about the McGill’s services has been good and I was pleased to meet with Sandy and James Easdale to consider if additional services could be added in future.
“We want to see Glasgow prosper and that can only happen with a good transport network. McGill’s has stepped up to the plate in recent weeks and it has been a shot in the arm to pubs, clubs and restaurants. It is no secret that the city’s night-time economy has been under severe post-pandemic economic stress, suffering massive drops in footfall, exacerbated by the lack of public transport and the introduction of the brutal LEZ.
“There have been fanciful claims by Glasgow City Council about increased footfall in the city centre – that will only become a reality if companies such as McGill’s keep doing what they’re doing. Long may it continue and hopefully the journey to full recovery for Glasgow’s struggling night-time economy is just around the corner.”
McGill’s chairman James Easdale added: “It was great to meet Donald who is a legend of the Glasgow night-time economy and get his view on night buses and the city centre more generally. McGill’s wants to play a part in helping workers and those coming to enjoy Glasgow’s bars, clubs and food outlets. The passenger numbers we have had across two weekends have been good and that supports our vision that there was a viable service that we could provide.”
Sandy Easdale added: “We have invested heavily in both services and our vehicle fleet of electric zero-emission buses and it is proving popular so far. Donald is obviously keen for us to do even more and I have committed to seeing what we can achieve in terms of increased night services and new routes. By engaging with businesses such as Donald’s, my hope is that we can collectively drive forward Glasgow’s city centre economy which needs a major boost.”
