First Glasgow

Last updated

First Greater Glasgow
FirstGroup.svg
LG71DNF First Glasgow 64120 ADL Enviro200EV BYD D9UR (52511453657).jpg
A First Glasgow Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV in Glasgow city centre in September 2022
Parent FirstGroup
FoundedMay 1996
Headquarters Glasgow
Locale Greater Glasgow
Service area
Service typeBus services
Routes84
Fleet600+ (January 2023) [1]
Fuel typeDiesel, Electric
Website firstbus.co.uk/greater-glasgow

First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in Scotland. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup. The company operates within the area covered by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, a public body responsible for helping to co-ordinate public transport services in the Greater Glasgow area.

Contents

History

A First Glasgow Volvo Ailsa B55 in Bridgeton in 2005 Volvo Ailsa B55.jpg
A First Glasgow Volvo Ailsa B55 in Bridgeton in 2005

First Glasgow was created through FirstGroup's buyout of Strathclyde Buses (created from the former Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive bus fleet, formerly the municipal Glasgow Corporation Transport), which had itself recently bought out the former Kelvin Central Buses (an amalgamation of Kelvin Scottish and Central Scottish, owned by the state-owned Scottish Bus Group). [2] [3] [4]

First Glasgow has two operator's licences: [1]

Buses carry legal signwriting for First Glasgow Limited, despite this having been a dormant company since at least 2008. [7]

Services

An Airport Express Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City in 2019 First Glasgow airport bus 2019.jpg
An Airport Express Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City in 2019

First Glasgow mainly run services in Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire areas of Strathclyde. However, some services also run outside of these areas. It was one of the first bus operators to introduce an "overground", a colour-coded set of bus routes with route branding on the bus exteriors and timetables. As of 2006, route branding has been removed from buses but remained on timetables until mid 2008.

First Glasgow reintroduced route branding in the form of SimpliCITY in May 2013 as a way to improve bus services in Glasgow, after a period of taking consultation from residents of Glasgow about the planned route changes. Buses were installed with free Wi-Fi and were branded with SimpliCITY logos, while routes were simplified in order to make more frequent journeys in and out of the city centre. [8]

Fleet

As of January 2023, First Glasgow operates a fleet of over 600 buses on over 80 routes, [1] a majority of these buses being built by either Alexander Dennis or Wrightbus.

A Low Emission Zone (LEZ) covering Glasgow city centre was introduced on 31 December 2018; the first phase of this applying solely to local service buses. [9] In October and November 2018, to comply with the new emission standards, First Glasgow placed into service a first batch of Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMCs onto route 75, [10] followed by an order for a further 53 Enviro400 MMCs, 10 Enviro400 Cities for the Glasgow Airport Express service, [11] and 12 Enviro200 MMCs for delivery in 2019, [12] [13] partly funded by Transport Scotland's Scottish Green Bus Fund. [14]

Battery electric buses first entered service with First Glasgow in the form of two BYD Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV single-deck buses in January 2020, purchased with funding from SP Energy Networks for service on route M3. [15] [16] [17] 22 more Enviro200EVs were later delivered to Caldeonia depot in November 2021, which were used as shuttle buses for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in the city, [18] [19] followed by a repeat order for 50 more in September 2022. [20] Orders were also made for 91 Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV double-decker buses alongside 35 more Enviro200EVs in March 2021, the first of which began to enter service from December 2021, [21] and 50 Enviro200EVs began to be delivered to Scotstoun depot from June 2023. [22]

First Glasgow aims to be an entirely zero-emission company by 2035, with 40% of the fleet's buses compliant with Glasgow's Low Emission Zone. The company's Caledonia depot is the largest electric vehicle charging station in the United Kingdom, currently capable of charging 150 electric buses at once, with infrastructure work currently underway to expand this to a total of 350 charging points. [23] [24] 27 dual-head charging units are also situated at Scotstoun depot. [22]

Depots

Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC at Buchanan bus station in September 2022 SO68HFT First Glasgow 34373 ADL Enviro400MMC.jpg
Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC at Buchanan bus station in September 2022

First Glasgow currently operates out of five depots:

In May 2013, the Cumbernauld depot closed with staff, buses and services transferred to Larkfield, Parkhead and Blantyre depots.

The Larkfield depot in Glasgow's Govanhill [26] closed on 18 October 2014, [27] with all staff, buses and services moving to a new purpose-built facility on the site of the former Gushetfaulds railfreight terminal on nearby Cathcart Road. [28] The new depot and head office, known as Caledonia Depot, opened on 14 October 2014. [29] It was officially opened by First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon on 12 December that year. [30] [31]

In January 2016, the Parkhead depot closed after 93 years of operation, and services and drivers transferred to the new Caledonia Depot on Cathcart Road. [32] [33]

Fares

First Glasgow operates an "exact fare" payment policy which was also used by predecessors Trans Clyde and Strathclyde Buses. In 2022, First Glasgow introduced a contactless card payment system known as Tap On Tap Off [34] which is compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay as well as contactless payment cards. Customers can also buy various tickets such as 5 single journeys, 10 single journeys, day, weekly, monthly through First's official app.. [35]

First Glasgow is also a partner in Glasgow Tripper, an unlimited day pass which can also be used on McGill's, Stagecoach within the Glasgow area, Glasgow Citybus and Whitelaw's. [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelvin Scottish</span> Bus operating subsidiary

Kelvin Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group based in Bishopbriggs, Strathclyde, Scotland. It was formed in March 1985 from parts of Walter Alexander & Sons (Midland) Ltd and Central SMT, initially with six depots and a varied fleet of 381 vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stagecoach West Scotland</span> Bus operator in west Scotland

Stagecoach West Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, comprising Western Buses Ltd based in Ayr, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Leicester</span>

Leicester Citybus, trading as First Leicester, is a bus operator providing services in Leicester. FirstGroup own 94% of the company with Trentbarton owning the other 6%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xplore Dundee</span> Scottish bus operator based in Dundee

Xplore Dundee is a bus operator based in Dundee, Scotland, operating services mainly within the city. The operator also runs a service to Edinburgh Airport. It is a subsidiary of McGill's Bus Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First South Yorkshire</span> Bus operator in South Yorkshire

First South Yorkshire is a major bus operator providing bus services within and across South Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stagecoach Manchester</span> Bus operator in Greater Manchester

Stagecoach Manchester is a major bus operator in Greater Manchester, operating franchised Bee Network bus services on contract to Transport for Greater Manchester. It is the largest UK bus subsidiary of Stagecoach Group outside of Greater London, as well as the largest within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester by passenger numbers, carrying up to 96.2 million passengers in 2019/20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpool Transport</span> Bus and tram operator in Blackpool, England

Blackpool Transport Services Limited. is a bus and tram operator running within the boroughs of Blackpool and Fylde and into the surrounding area, including Fleetwood, Lytham St Annes, Poulton-le-Fylde, Cleveleys, Fleetwood and Preston with the introduction of the 74 and 75,. Blackpool Transport is owned by Blackpool Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Aberdeen</span> Bus company operator in Aberdeen, Scotland

First Aberdeen is the main bus company operator in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stagecoach East</span> Bus operator in the East of England

Stagecoach East is a bus operator providing local and regional services across the East of England, operating in the counties of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The company is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group and is headquartered and registered in Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva North West</span> Bus operator in North West England

Arriva North West is a major bus operator running services in North West England in the Merseyside area. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Express West Midlands</span> British bus operator in the West Midlands, England

National Express West Midlands (NXWM), also operating under the West Midlands Bus brand identity, is an English bus operator in the West Midlands, a subsidiary of Mobico Group. It is the largest bus operator in the region and one of the single largest in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strathclyde Buses</span> Former bus operator in Glasgow and West Scotland

Strathclyde Buses was a bus operating company in Glasgow and west-central Scotland. It commenced operations in October 1986. Prior to 1986, the council-owned buses had belonged to Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, and therefore were owned by Strathclyde Regional Council. The new company, although still under the control of the Council, was no longer able to rely on the Council for any financial, or any other, help. In 1996 the company was taken over by FirstGroup. Its former operations are now part of First Glasgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire</span> Bus operator

Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire operates both local and regional bus services in Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, England, as well as Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, which operates bus, coach, rail and tram services across the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGill's Bus Services</span> Bus operator based in Scotland

McGill's Bus Services is a bus operator based in Greenock, Scotland. The company has grown to operate a network of routes covering much of the council areas of Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Glasgow City, North Ayrshire, West Lothian, Falkirk and Dundee City. McGill's have several depots based in Greenock, Inchinnan, Johnstone, Edinburgh, Bannockburn, Balfron, Larbert, Livingston and Dundee. McGill's also formerly had depots in Dumbarton, Barrhead and Coatbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC</span> British-built model of double-decker bus, built since 2014

The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC is a low-floor double-decker bus produced by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis since 2014, replacing the Alexander Dennis Enviro400. The Enviro400 MMC is produced at Alexander Dennis' Falkirk and Scarborough factories in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City</span> British-built model of double-decker bus, built since 2014

The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City is a low-floor double-decker bus produced by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis since 2015, as an alternative to the standard Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC bodywork. The Enviro400 City is produced at Alexander Dennis' Falkirk and Scarborough factories in the United Kingdom. It is available as a complete integral diesel or hybrid bus, as well as the Enviro400EV complete integral battery electric bus or Scania N280UD compressed natural gas-powered chassis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ember (coach operator)</span> Scottish electric coach company

Ember is a coach operator in Scotland. It operates the first electric intercity coach services in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yutong TCe12</span> Chinese battery electric coach

The Yutong TCe12, sold as the Yutong ICe12 in continental Europe, is a battery electric coach manufactured by Yutong in Zhengzhou since 2017 for international bus and coach operators. It is based on the same technology used in the Yutong E10 battery-electric single-deck bus, having a maximum all-electric range of 200 miles, and can be configured as a school bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV</span> Battery electric double-decker bus

The Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV is a battery electric double-decker bus produced by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis in partnership with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Auto since 2018. Based on its Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City body, which was launched in 2015 to compete with the hybrid electric New Routemaster, the Enviro400EV is produced at Alexander Dennis' Falkirk and Scarborough factories in the United Kingdom, with production of the type at the company's Larbert headquarters set to also commence in mid-2023. The Enviro400EV is available both as a complete integral battery electric bus and as a battery electric bus body on a BYD K series chassis, as well the integral Enviro400FCEV fuel cell bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV</span> Battery electric single-deck bus

The Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV is a battery electric single-deck bus produced by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis in partnership with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Auto since 2015. An electric variant of the diesel integral Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC, which had been launched that same year to replace the outgoing Enviro200 and Enviro300, the Enviro200EV utilises BYD's own 12 m chassis and drivetrain and has a range of up to 160 miles with a recharge time of 3.5 hours. A shorter 10.8 m variant was subsequently added to the range in 2016.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About us". FirstBus Greater Glasgow. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  2. Takeover nets bus workers £35,000 The Independent 10 May 1996
  3. Bus takeover is finally cleared Archived 7 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine The Herald 1 August 1998
  4. FirstBus Plc and SB Holdings Limited: A freport on the merger situation Competition Commission
  5. Companies House extract company no SC097299 First Glasgow No 1 Limited formerly Strathclyde Buses Limited
  6. Companies House extract company no SC127012 First Glasgow No 2 Limited formerly Kelvin Central Buses Limited
  7. Companies House extract company no SC129033 First Glasgow Limited
  8. "First Glasgow confirms changes to its simplicity proposals".
  9. Glasgow City Centre Rings in the New Year with Scotland's First Low Emission Zone Glasgow City Council, 1 January 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  10. In pictures: First Glasgow launch new eco fleet with world's largest model bus display in George Square The Sunday Post, 9 October 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  11. "Take-off for Glasgow Airport fleet renewal". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  12. First Glasgow launches new fleet of eco-friendly buses ahead of city-wide low emissions zone Intelligent Transport, 16 October 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  13. First Glasgow confirms plans to invest in 75 new ADL buses in 2019 Coach & Bus Week, 4 December 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  14. Over £1 million to help green buses Transport Scotland, 31 December 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  15. "First Glasgow unveils new electric buses for the City". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  16. Mehmet, Sam (13 January 2020). "First Bus rolls out first commercial e-buses in Glasgow since 1960s". Intelligent Transport. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  17. Cameron, Lucinda (10 January 2020). "Electric buses launched on commercial route in Glasgow for first time in over 50 years". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  18. "First Glasgow prepares for COP26 with order of 22 BYD ADL Enviro200EVs". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  19. "First to operate COP26 delegate shuttles". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  20. Deakin, Tim (22 September 2022). "BYD ADL and Yutong in First Bus Scotland 74 EV order". routeone. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  21. Trimble, James (31 March 2021). "First Bus order 126 brand new vehicles from Camelon coach builder". Falkirk Herald. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  22. 1 2 "First Glasgow begins further growth of city's electric fleet". routeone. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  23. "First Glasgow to grow EV charging at Caledonia to 350 vehicles 74 EV order". routeone. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  24. "Zero Emission Mission". FirstBus Greater Glasgow. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  25. "Bus depot bid to be UK's largest electric vehicle charging hub". BBC News. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  26. First Larkfield Depot, 'For all the photos nobody else was daft enough to take', 28 February 2010
  27. Plans for homes on former Larkfield bus depot site in Govanhill offcially[sic] submitted, Evening Times, 13 January 2018
  28. "First's new £20m Glasgow depot". Bus and Coach Buyer. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  29. "We've moved". First Glasgow. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  30. First Minister Opens UK's Biggest Bus Depot in Glasgow [ permanent dead link ] First Group 12 December 2014
  31. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Opens New Caledonia Bus Depot Janus Architecture, 12 December 2014
  32. First Glasgow to shut Parkhead depot after 93 years, Evening Times, 2 October 2015
  33. All Aboard For Major Housing Development At Parkhead Bus Depot Site, reGlasgow, 30 August 2019
  34. "Tap on, Tap off | First Bus".
  35. Contactless payments come to all First Glasgow buses, Intelligent Transport, 7 November 2017
  36. Glasgow Tripper Media Release, Glasgow Tripper, 5 November 2017