Public meeting to share plans for new Barrhead bus service

Residents are encouraged to attend the event at The Museum in Barrhead Main Street on Wednesday, January 28 from 1pm to 3pm.

It is being held by Better Buses Barrhead (BBB), a group of residents who have been working in partnership with East Renfrewshire Council (ERC), Scottish Passenger Transport (SPT) and the Corra Foundation to bring forward a new service for the town.

ERC are set to loan a bus for the free pilot and a route has been identified which will take in Main Street, Aurs Road, the new Balgray Station, Springhill Road, Tesco, Cross Arthurlie Street, Barrhead Station, Carlibar Road, Stewart Street and Glasgow Road.

Amanda Smith, the group’s chair, said: “We are a team of people who meet up in the Dunterlie Resource Centre and who are trying to bring a better bus service to Barrhead.

“Hopefully we will have a pilot up and running for April/May after Easter.

“We are having a public meeting at The Museum and everyone is welcome to come so they can see exactly what we are doing and who it is helping.”

The public meeting later this month will be attended SPT and ERC.

Representatives of both organisations met with members of the group today (Thursday, January 15) in Dunterlie to discuss the plans for service and the roles of the different partners involved.

As well as helping with the loan of a 16-seater bus for the pilot, ERC will also be providing the group with help with their business plan and finding funding.

The meeting was also attended by Councillor Julie Ann McHale who expressed support for the service and vowed to help raise awareness of the plans for the new route.

The positive meeting this morning highlighted the considerable strides BBB has taken since it was formed in 2024 to campaign for improvements in local bus services and public transport.

Those within the group were inspired to take action after the local community was left devastated by the loss of the 52 circular which made 16 stops in the town.

The service, which enabled otherwise isolated people to visit the shops and connect with others, was scrapped in 2023, a huge blow which has led to greater isolation and exclusion in the area.

Females, over 60s, those with disabilities and families on low incomes are among those which the group says have been hit the hardest.

Indeed, their ‘We Need Our Bus’ report highlighted the devastating effects of losing local bus services on local people and the need to take action by trying to create a community-owned bus service.

Neill Paton from the Corra Foundation, Rena McGuire BEM and Lara Henderson from the Community Transport Association with Dunterlie Action Group’s We Need Our Bus in 2024 (Image: Newsquest)

Last year the group conducted a community survey and consultation on a proposed route developed through local research and engagement with residents.

More than 60 frustrated residents joined a community transport meeting back in September 2024 (Image: Newsquest)

The group, who have received £1,000 from Corra Foundation to cover basic costs, also now have a constitution, a development which will help them to access more avenues of funding.

While the service aims to tackle social isolation, BBB says that one of its priorities is also to help children and young people get to school and they hope the bus’ timetable will allow them to pass near all of the town’s schools between 8am and 9am.

“Following a series of public meetings and consultations we have identified that there is a need and public support for a circular bus service that runs across Barrhead,” added the group.

“We are trying to run a community bus which reach the whole circular of Barrhead and not just Dunterlie, Auchenback and the Main Street.”

Public meeting to share plans for new Barrhead bus service

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