Shanks calls for rethink on bus axe plan

FIRST BUS TO WITHDRAW 65 SERVICE

- ROBERT MITCHELL

Rutherglen MP Michael Shanks is spearheading a campaign that calls on First Bus to reverse its decision to axe a key route into the city centre.

The firm last week confirmed it will no longer operate the 65 between Glasgow and Halfway in Cambuslang, from Sunday, July 13.

And now the Labour politician has launched a petition to retain the “vital public service” for residents in Rutherglen and Cambuslang.

Shanks said: “Buses aren’t just a form of transport, they're an absolute lifeline for communities.”

He added: “The 65 bus is a good example, one that First Bus are proposing to cut, even though so many local people here rely on it to get to the shops, to get to local services, to get things that are important for their lives.

“We need to send a message to companies like First Bus that you can’t just cut services and think that it will have no impact on people's lives. It does. We also need to better regulate buses so that companies can't make these choices in the first place.”