Community concerns taken forward

At recent Community Council meetings, residents raised concerns about the punctuality and reliability of the 4 and 4A bus services. Through our elected member, Cllr Lana Reid-McConnell, we invited First Bus to meet with us and hear directly from the community.

We have now received a formal response from First Bus Scotland, who report significant improvements in the service:

Key points from First Bus’ update

  • First Bus has invested £3 million across its Glasgow network to improve punctuality and customer experience.
  • Since June, this investment has delivered an average 13.5% improvement in punctuality across the city.
  • In our area, services 4 and 4A have seen even bigger gains, with punctuality improving by 27.5% and 32.8% respectively.
  • First Bus stressed the importance of further bus priority measures in the city to reduce congestion. Without these, investment is required just to maintain current service levels rather than expanding routes or reducing fares.
  • They have committed to continuing engagement with local authorities and stakeholders.

Full letter from First Bus

Click to read the full letter

8/22/2025

Dear Cllr Reid-McConnell,

Service 4 & 4A punctuality improvements

We understand how vital bus services are to our customers, your community and the invaluable role they play to the local economy. Ensuring everyone has a reliable and efficient bus service is fundamentally important and our number one priority. To that end, First Bus has been investing heavily in your area to significantly improve punctuality (or on time performance as it is termed in the industry).

We have invested £3 million, across our network, to improve performance and the experience for our customers. Thanks to this investment, we have been able to ensure buses are able to run on time, despite rising congestion and poor road conditions. On average, this has delivered 13.5% increase in punctuality across the city since June alone.

We are delighted to inform you that services 4 and 4A serving your area have improved 27.5% and 32.8% respectively, ensuring your constituents are getting a more reliable and efficient service.

However, the scale of the investment also highlights the need for more investment in bus priority measures in the city. Had measures been in place to reduce congestion and prioritise bus, that £3 million investment could have been used to expand our network, introduce new routes or invest in reduced fares, rather than just to maintain current bus running times.

First Bus appreciates engagement from all stakeholders, including local authority officers, and we hope to meet with officials on a regular basis going forward to continue discussing improvements to bus services.

We hope you will join us in welcoming the service improvements and call for further, sustained funding to improve congestion and bus prioritisation measures in your area.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish any further information.

Yours sincerely,
Duncan Cameron
Managing Director, First Bus Scotland